The failed scheme could land the Muscovite behind bars for ten years, according to local media
FILE PHOTO: Lottery tickets at a Stoloto kiosk in Russia. © Sputnik / Maksim Bogodvid
A Russian man hoping to strike it rich has ended up facing a lengthy prison term after he was caught stealing 12,000 lottery tickets, local media reported on Wednesday.
The suspect, 50-year-old Moscow resident Andrey Vanchuk, began working at a kiosk belonging to the ‘Stoloto’ brand in the south of the Russian capital around a year ago, RBK reported, citing sources.
Vanchuk allegedly invented a scheme which saw him pocket tickets instead of selling them, with the aim of increasing his chances of hitting the jackpot.
Between February and September 2022, he is accused of stealing a whopping 11,979 tickets, worth around 1.4 million rubles (around $ 18,000), sources claimed.
Vanchuk’s alleged activities were eventually uncovered by police, with a criminal case launched on Wednesday, according to the Baza Telegram channel.
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He now faces charges of large-scale embezzlement and could be slapped with a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
