SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Police say an employee of a convenience store stole close to $30,000 worth of Pennsylvania Lottery tickets in a matter of six days.
According to the Scranton Police Department, an investigation began on October 25 after the store owner of Hidden Leaf Smoke Shop on Boulevard Avenue noticed money was missing.
Between October 18 and 23, the owner stated that $14,000 worth of lottery tickets that were sold was missing, and on October 24 the cash for $15,530 in lottery tickets sold was unaccounted for, as stated in the affidavit.
Investigators noted the store’s surveillance camera system was also missing video between October 18 and October 22.
Detectives say they were tracking down any winning lottery tickets and saw Faith Hicks, 28, of Scranton, an employee of Hidden Leaf Smoke Shop, on security footage at a Giant Super Market cashing a winning lottery ticket.
Hicks was interviewed by police and admitted to stealing the tickets claiming she stole to cover her various bills, according to court documents. Hicks gained between $7,000 and $10,000 from the winning lottery tickets.
Hicks faces an assortment of theft-related charges and she was released without bail.
