Oregon retail clerk accused of stealing $25,000 winning lottery ticket

A convenience store employee in La Grande faces charges of theft and computer crime after allegedly being caught stealing a $25,000 winning lottery ticket that undercover officers turned in and were told was not a winning ticket, the Oregon Lottery said Friday.

Oregon State Police detectives with the lottery security section turned in the winning ticket and others to an employee at the Short Stop in La Grande on Sept. 19, Oregon Lottery officials said in a press release.

The employee scanned the tickets, said there were no winners and kept the winning ticket, the release said. The detectives then asked the Oregon Lottery to place a "hold" on the ticket.

On Sept. 26, the employee mailed the winning ticket and the lottery winner claim form , which included the employee's signature on the "Winner Declaration," the release said.

OSP lottery detectives cited the unnamed individual for aggravated theft and computer crime after interviewing them, and recommended additional charges of theft by deception and forgery in the first degree to the Marion County District Attorney's Office.

OSP has conducted more than 170 undercover checks at lottery retailers since 2020, according to the press release.

An Oregon Lottery spokesperson said theft by retail employees are rare. Since 2020, the Oregon Lottery has had two retail thefts, including the one announced Friday, the spokesperson said.

“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,” said Justin Hedlund, the lottery’s assistant director of security, in a statement. “These checks are one way we accomplish that.”

The Short Stop has been an Oregon Lottery retailer since 2005 and has no history of compliance issues, according to the agency.

The Oregon Lottery recommended winners sign the back of their ticket to ensure they can claim a prize.

Dianne Lugo cov ers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon retail clerk accused of stealing $25,000 winning lottery ticket