Michigan Store Clerk Admits To Stealing $3,500 Worth Of Lottery Tickets, Cashing In On Winnings

A 20-year-old store clerk in Isabella County, Michigan was charged with embezzlement after she allegedly stole lottery tickets from her workplace and converted the winning entries into cash.

The unnamed woman admitted to police she took $3,500 worth of lottery tickets from Next Door Food Store located at 1663 South Mission Street in Mount Pleasant on each of the four days she worked in July, local outlet The Morning Sun reported. She also allegedly admitted to redeeming the winning tickets during those working days.

The woman had been on the job for two weeks, according to the report. Police claimed she later signed a confession.

The clerk was charged with embezzlement of more than $1,000 but less than $20,000 — a felony that can carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 or three times the value of the embezzled money.

The exact amount of money she was able to redeem from the winning lottery tickets was unclear.

The woman was arraigned Tuesday in Isabella District Court. She is scheduled to appear in court again next Thursday.

In similar news, a 29-year-old convenience store employee in Pennsylvania was allegedly caught on camera stealing over a hundred lottery tickets from his workplace between late September and early October before redeeming the winning entries.

The man, identified as Tito R. Montalvo Jr., stole more than $800 worth of lottery tickets from Speedway Gas Station in Amity Township, while he was employed at the convenience store between Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, according to local newspaper The Reporter.

Montalvo also skimmed from the store's register by under-ringing merchandise, police said. He allegedly voided sales and took the money that should have gone into the register.

Authorities learned of Montalvo's activities after a manager from the convenience store contacted police Tuesday to report an employee theft.

Montalvo stole 111 Pennsylvania Lottery tickets, which had a retail value of $865, according to police. The thefts were allegedly recorded on the store's security system.

The total loss to the convenience store, including the money that should have gone to the register, was around $935.

Montalvo was arraigned on retail theft charges before District Judge Kyley Scott in Reading Central Court Tuesday. He was reportedly free to await a hearing following the arraignment.