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Lottery ticket at Stoloto kiosk in Russia. Photo/Sputnik/Maksim Bogodvid
MOSCOW – A Russian man who hopes to get rich quick will have to give up if his dreams suddenly run aground.
Instead he faces a lengthy prison sentence after being caught stealing 12,000 lottery tickets, according to local media on Wednesday (29/3/2023).
“The suspect, a 50-year-old Muscovite named Andrey Vanchuk, started working at a kiosk belonging to the “Stoloto” brand in the south of the Russian capital about a year ago,” a source told local media RBK.
Vanchuk allegedly created a scheme that allowed him to pocket thousands of the lottery tickets instead of selling them. By having thousands of those lottery tickets, he hopes to increase his chances of hitting the jackpot and getting rich quick.
“Between February and September 2022, he is accused of stealing 11,979 lottery tickets, worth around 1.4 million rubles (about $18,000),” said a source familiar with the incident.
Vanchuk’s alleged activities were eventually uncovered by police, with a criminal case launched on Wednesday, according to Telegram channel Baza.
He now faces charges of grand embezzlement and can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
(she)