Police say woman stole lottery tickets, gift cards from Foodland store
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Police said a woman stole more than $84,000 from the Monongahela Foodland store where she worked by scratching off lottery tickets, pocketing her winnings and stealing gift cards to cover when she lost.
Theresa Lee Hughes, 55, of Frederick, Md., was charged with multiple counts of theft and with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, a felony.
Police were tipped off on Jan. 29 by the store's general manager. Through a "painstaking" months-long investigation, detectives discovered that Ms. Hughes, who worked as an office manager, had been stealing from the store almost every day for more than two years, police Monongahela Chief Brian Tempest said.
"She would take the ticket and she would scratch it off," he said. "If she won $100, she would then take the $100, put $25 in the register and pocket the $75."
If she stole four $25 lottery tickets, for example, she would take a store gift certificate, make it out for $100 and submit it as payment for the losing tickets, the chief said.
"She was basically robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said. "Each time she took a ticket it was an individual theft. She oversaw the office, so the register, at the end of the day, would balance."
She was charged by summons because she no longer lives in Monongahela but is expected to return for a hearing next week.
First Published November 17, 2010 12:00 am
