Antioch man guilty in theft ring that stole nearly $100,000 in lottery tickets
A 32-year-old Antioch man admitted to running a theft ring that made off with $95,565 in California State Lottery tickets and collecting $59,105 in prize money, prosecutors say.
Ryan Anderson pleaded guilty Friday to masterminding thefts from more than 100 convenience and grocery stores in seven counties, the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office said.
Anderson and his associates would steal California Lottery Scratchers by distracting the clerk at a given store and then cash in the winning tickets at a different store, said Ted Asregadoo, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office.
The ring targeted stores in Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, and Stanislaus counties between March 27, 2022, and Oct. 25, 2022.
Under state laws, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office was able to prosecute Anderson for all his crimes, even though they crossed county lines.
Anderson will spend three years in state prison and pay full restitution to the California State Lottery.