US authorities have arrested an alleged lottery thief following a sting operation that caught a convenience store clerk with a ticket worth $25,000 (£19,200). The retail employee is now facing criminal charges as part of the state’s Retail Integrity Check operation.
On September 19, detectives from the Oregon State Police lottery security division presented a scratch-off ticket worth $25,000 to a clerk at the Short Stop convenience store on Gekeler Lane in La Grande. The clerk scanned the ticket and told the detectives it wasn’t a winner.
After leaving the store, Oregon Lottery officials put a hold on the ticket. A week later the clerk tried to post the winning ticket to claim the $25,000 prize, according to lottery officials. Along with the winning ticket, the clerk included a signed Lottery Winner Claim Form in the post.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
OSP detectives then contacted the clerk and interviewed him about the ticket. They subsequently cited him for first-degree aggravated theft and computer crime, reports the Mirror US.
Detectives are also recommending charges of Theft by Deception and Forgery in the First Degree to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.
The convenience store where the sting operation took place has been a licensed lottery retailer since 2005, according to lottery officials.
(Image: Oregon Lottery)
Justin Hedlund, Oregon Lottery’s assistant director of security, emphasised the importance of honesty in their operations, stating: “While it is rare to see an individual be dishonest at one of our retailers, we have a responsibility to ensure our games are played with fairness and integrity. These checks are one way we accomplish that.”
The Oregon State Police (OSP), in collaboration with lottery officials, routinely conduct checks throughout the year to maintain the integrity of the games, with more than 170 such checks since 2020. OSP detectives are specifically assigned to the Oregon Lottery to uphold fair play and security.
Melanie Mesaros, a spokeswoman for the lottery, reassured the public about the rarity of dishonesty among players, telling KTVZ: “Well, in good news, it is very rare to see an individual be dishonest at one of our retailers. We’ve done 170 of these operations since 2020, and we’ve only had two where we’ve caught someone being dishonest. So, I think that’s part of why you don’t hear about it very often.”
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