Man Accused Of Virginia Lottery Fraud, Larceny

A convenience store manager was recently arrested in Culpepper and accused of white collar crimes. The Virginia man has been accused of lottery fraud for allegedly activating the scratch-off tickets and keeping the prize money for himself. He faces six felony charges for his alleged crimes.

The investigation was supposedly started by an internal security system investigation in the Virginia Lottery. Purportedly, the Virginia Lottery noticed that the winnings from the activated tickets were not going into the account that all retailers are required to use. The alleged crimes occurred in Aug. and Sept. 2013. The amount that the manager allegedly stole is unclear at this time. Since the man’s arrest, the store has changed ownership.

The man faces three counts of larceny of lottery tickets with a value of over $200 apiece, and he also has been charged with three counts of embezzlement of or fraudulent use of lottery money. The first three charges are unclassified felonies, and the second three would yield from five to 20 years imprisonment as well as an up to $100,000 fine if convictions were obtained. It is not clear if the man is still being held in police custody or if he posted bond.

The fraud and larceny charges that the Virginia man faces for his alleged white collar crimes are very serious. However, without sufficient evidence, no criminal conviction can be obtained. As the man begins to form his criminal defense, it is possible that he may be able to negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution, if he felt as if that option were in his best interest. However, he has every right to proceed to trial and force the government to actually prove its claims according to the strict requirements of our criminal justice system

Source: dailyprogress.com, “Former Brandy Station store manager faces lottery fraud charges“, Rhonda Simmons, Sept. 10, 2014