Former Texas Lottery director Gary Grief faces a first-degree felony charge of abuse of official capacity after a Travis County grand jury reindicted him this week in Austin.
The new indictment, issued May 14, 2026, is identical to one filed in April that was dismissed days later at the request of an assistant district attorney citing prosecutorial discretion.
Court records allege Grief misused his position as executive director of the now-dissolved Texas Lottery Commission to defraud the state during the Lotto Texas drawing on April 22, 2023. A court summons was issued the same day requiring Grief to appear in the 167th District Court on June 26 at 9 a.m.
Gary Grief, former executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission, was reindicted by a Travis County grand jury after a previous indictment was dismissed by an assistant district attorney in mid-April. https://t.co/zasQkQp8BV
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 14, 2026
The case centers on that 2023 drawing, when a single syndicate spent roughly $26 million through multiple courier services to buy nearly every possible number combination and claim the $95 million jackpot. The transaction, first detailed by a Houston Chronicle investigation, sparked widespread criticism from lawmakers who said it effectively “stole” the prize from ordinary Texas players. The controversy contributed to multiple investigations and the Legislature’s decision to abolish the Texas Lottery Commission in 2025, transferring its duties to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The grand jury also returned an identical abuse-of-official-capacity indictment against the Texas Lottery Commission itself. That charging document accuses the agency of fraudulently misusing government property and services through actions “authorized, requested, performed or recklessly tolerated” by Grief and two other officials.
Grief resigned from the agency in February 2024. His attorney, Sam Bassett, called the charges political and said Grief cooperated fully with the Texas Rangers investigation.
No trial date has been set. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has not commented on the reindictment.
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