A GAS station employee has been charged with generating hundreds of lottery tickets without payment and subsequently cashing them.
Hope Johnson’s purported scheme reportedly netted her close to $3,000 in winnings.
She was employed at a BP station in Wisconsin and allegedly printed the tickets when she was alone, as stated in court documents reviewed by court documents accessed by NBC affiliate WEAU.
She printed around 800 lotto tickets, which would’ve cost more than $8,800.
But, Johnson apparently didn’t pay for the tickets.
Once the tickets were printed, she would check the numbers before putting the winning slips aside.
Johnson then went to another store to cash the slips in, according to court documents.
She took home more than $2,800 after cashing in the winning tickets, according to the Ventura County Star.
But, the gas station experienced a $9,000 loss in August 2024 and Johnson’s apparent scheme seemed to unravel.
Security footage caught Johnson printing off the tickets and not paying for them.
Johnson pleaded guilty to a charge of forging a lottery ticket.
She initially faced six charges, but five of which were dismissed because she pleaded guilty.
Johnson could have been sentenced to up to three-and-a-half years in prison.
Alternatively, she could’ve been hit with a $10,000 fine.
She received a two-year probation sentence, but will only have to serve 10 days in jail.
Johnson was given a 90-day conditional jail sentence, but 80 days were stayed.
She has been ordered to write a letter apologizing for what happened.
Johnson has also been banned from working in any store or gas station which sells lotto tickets.
And, she has been ordered to pay $13,000 in fees.
