An Antioch man, aged 32, has confessed to orchestrating a theft operation that absconded with $95,565 worth of California State Lottery tickets and garnered $59,105 in prize money, according to prosecutors.
Ryan Anderson, on Friday, pleaded guilty to masterminding thefts from over 100 convenience and grocery stores spanning seven counties, as stated by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
Anderson, alongside his accomplices, would execute the theft of California Lottery Scratchers by diverting the attention of store clerks and later redeeming the winning tickets at different stores, revealed Ted Asregadoo, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.
This ring’s focus encompassed stores situated in Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, and Stanislaus counties, during the timeframe of March 27, 2022, to October 25, 2022.
In accordance with state regulations, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office possessed the jurisdiction to prosecute Anderson for all his transgressions, even spanning across county borders.
Anderson has been sentenced to three years in state penitentiary and is obligated to fully reimburse the California State Lottery.