DENVER — Four people in Colorado have been charged with stealing over $150,000 in lottery scratch tickets from Front Range retailers over a period of 15 months, according to the Colorado attorney general’s office.
Richard McBee, Adam Pacheco, Tawny McCurry, and David Goetken were indicted by a statewide grand jury Monday in connection with the scheme, which prosecutors said occurred at least at 45 separate gas station locations across the Front Range.
Prosecutors said McBee, either acting alone or with accomplices would target gas stations and convenience stores that were staffed by a single store clerk. He or his accomplice would then lure the store clerk away from the store’s counter by distracting the clerk with purchasing propane tanks, claiming a credit card was stuck in a gas pump, or spilling gasoline. While the store clerk was distracted, McBee would sneak behind the counter and steal high-value lottery scratch tickets from the store’s dispenser.
The indictment showed that within hours of the theft, and before the theft was discovered, McBee would enter a different gas station or store to redeem prizes from the stolen lottery tickets.
“The individuals accused of these lottery ticket retail thefts harmed businesses along the Front Range. Colorado Lottery sales proceeds go toward preserving and protecting state parks, trails, and open spaces, so Coloradans who enjoy the great outdoors are also victims of Lottery theft. I am grateful for the team effort with local law enforcement and Lottery investigators. We’ll hold these individuals to account for their actions and the harm they caused to the victims and our state,” said Attorney General Weiser in a statement.
McBee was charged with four counts of class 4 felony theft; Pacheco with one count of class four felony theft; McCurry with one count of class five felony theft; and Goetken with one count of class five felony theft.
The investigation was conducted by various local law enforcement agencies, the Colorado Lottery Investigation Unit, and the Special Prosecutions Unit of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, according to a news release.
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