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Gambler Chooses Trial Over Plea Bargain

"`I'm in a fight for my life, and I'm going to stand up and fight,' said Steve Raymie, 42.

"Raymie was scheduled Monday to accept a shortened prison sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. In an interview after Monday's court hearing, Raymie said he was unhappy with the offer, although he declined to discuss details.

"…Raymie allegedly held up a De Soto bank in October and claimed after his arrest that he did so to feed a gambling addiction. He is charged with second-degree robbery and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. At least 81/2 years of that sentence would have to be served before Raymie could be eligible for parole, Zbieroski said.

"…According to court documents, Raymie planned to use a gambling addiction defense on the robbery charge. Raymie's attorney had lined up addiction experts as witnesses. Experts say no one in Iowa has ever used compulsive gambling as a criminal defense.

"…Raymie believes his out-of-control gambling, mostly on slot machines at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, blurred his reasoning and compelled him to rob the Earlham Savings Bank in De Soto of $20,000.

"He said he and his wife gambled away more than $300,000, drained their checking account and defaulted on a second mortgage…"

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