SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – A La Grande retail store employee is facing charges after he was caught stealing a $25,000 winning lottery ticket as part of a retail integrity sweep by State Police in Oregon and the Oregon Lottery.

On Thursday, September 19, detectives from the OSP 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 announced that there were no winners, keeping the $25,000 ticket. Upon verification, detectives placed the ticket “on hold” by Oregon Lottery personnel.

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

After interviewing the clerk, OSP Lottery detectives cited the individual for first-degree theft and computer crime. Additional charges of theft by deception and forgery in the first degree are recommended to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

The company has been an Oregon Lottery retailer since 2005 and has no history of compliance issues.

“While it is rare to see a rogue individual at one of our merchants, we have a responsibility to ensure that our games are played with fairness and integrity,” said Justin Hedlund, Oregon Lottery Deputy Chief Security Officer. “These checks are one way we do that.”

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

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