Chatham-Kent Police Crack Down on Lottery Ticket Thief

The Chatham-Kent Police Service Intelligence Unit reveals that it has made an arrest in connection to multiple cases of stolen lottery tickets. With help from the Community Patrol and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, they have identified a 34-year-old man as the culprit to the incidents of several break-and-enter instances and the theft of lottery tickets.

The police department revealed that the substantial breakthrough in the case arrived after an extensive investigation into several reported incidents across the municipality. Now, the arrested 34-year-old offender will face several charges in court. These kinds of incidents are not uncommon as a few weeks ago there was another similar case reported by the police.

Facing Charges in Court

Now the perpetrator will face several charges after the conclusion of the investigation. He will be charged with mischief under CA$5,000, two counts of possession of stolen property, and seven counts of break-and-enter. After being detained by authorities, the felon was taken to police headquarters and is currently being held pending a bail hearing.

Police in St. Thomas are also dealing with a similar case of stolen lottery tickets, as they are investigating the theft of almost CA$2,000 worth of scratch tickets. On January 2, 2024, gas station employees contacted the authorities claiming a person posing as a contracted HVAC employee came to the store, telling the clerk maintenance was scheduled for the thermostats.

The local police explained the suspect left the site with the tickets a short time after arriving. The case is currently being investigated by the St. Thomas Police Service’s Criminal Investigation Branch. It was also reported that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is responsible for the distribution of lottery tickets. has been briefed and all tickets have been cancelled.

OLG Warned about a Lottery Scam

In the past few years, OLG has also had to deal with more gambling-related crimes in the Province of Ontario, such as scams trying to defraud individuals of money. Back on July 25, 2022, the Peterborough Police Service, informed that a senior resident had fallen victim to it. According to the authorities, the scammers presented themselves as OLG officials and defrauded the 86-year-old of nearly CA$20,000.

the Peterborough police department stated that the 86-year-old woman had become the subject of a lottery scam. According to the authorities, the fraudsters contacted the victim and presented themselves as officials of the Crown corporation, and told her that she had won a major lottery prize as well as a vehicle.

However, there was a catch in the alleged lottery and car win, as the imposters told the Peterborough woman that the issuance of the prizes would be delayed and that she needed to make a payment for the windfalls to be claimed. According to the police, the senior citizen was defrauded of nearly CA$20,000 which was collected through different means.

Source: Aamir, Muhammad “CK Police Arrest Man Linked to Multiple Cases of Targeting Lottery Tickets” The Hamilton Spectator, January 3, 2024