La Grande store worker charged with stealing, trying to cash a winning $25,000 Oregon Lottery ticket in undercover sting

(Update: Adding video, lottery spokeswoman comment)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – A La Grande retail store employee is facing charges after they were caught stealing a winning $25,000 lottery ticket as part of a Retail Integrity Check operation conducted by Oregon State Police and the Oregon Lottery.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, detectives from OSP’s Lottery security section presented a winning ticket to an employee at the Short Stop, located at 1709 Gekeler Lane in La Grande. The employee scanned the tickets presented by the detective and advised there were no winners, keeping the ticket worth $25,000. Following the check, detectives had the ticket placed on “hold” by Oregon Lottery staff.

On Sept. 26, the clerk mailed in the winning Lottery ticket in an attempt to redeem the $25,000 prize, lottery officials said. Along with the winning ticket, the clerk also mailed in the Lottery Winner Claim Form and signed the declaration.

After interviewing the clerk, OSP Lottery detectives cited the individual for first-degree aggravated theft and computer Crime. Additional charges of Theft by Deception and Forgery in the First Degree are being recommended to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.

The business has been an Oregon Lottery retailer since 2005 and does not have a history of compliance issues.

“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, Oregon Lottery’s assistant director of security. “These checks are one way we accomplish that.”

Undercover checks are done routinely by OSP at Oregon Lottery retailers throughout the year, with more than 170 being conducted since 2020. OSP detectives assigned to Oregon Lottery help support the agency by ensuring fairness, integrity, security and honesty in the operation of the Lottery. The Oregon Lottery recommends that you sign the back of your ticket to ensure you can claim any prize.

Lottery spokeswoman Melanie Mesaros said, “Well, in good news, it is very rare to see an individual be dishonest at one of our retailers. We've done 170 of these operations since 2020, and we've only had two where we've caught someone being dishonest. So, I think that's part of why you don't hear about it very often.”

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery, visit www.oregonlottery.org.