Lottery ticket thieves are among the individuals that tend to be in the center of attention regardless of the province they are in. Calgary criminal willing to hit convenience stores across the city was recently cuffed with the help of the local community. The man had managed to accomplish seven lottery ticket thefts between March 30 and May 27, as well as breach his probation order a total of 14 times.
Criminals targeting convenience stores is nothing new under the sun, as this has been a common practice across Canadian provinces. Individuals hit locations such as gas stations and shops open 24/7 and grab handfuls of lottery tickets. Often times they also steal cigarettes, later on, sold illegally around the local community. The lottery tickets could win them a substantial amount of cash, as the scratch ones offer immediate information whether or not the player wins a cash prize.
Handfuls of Lottery Tickets Stolen
The local law enforcement officers upon receiving a tip-off arrested the Calgary individual. The local community is often times more helpful than any investigation, as they have the insight and know a friend of a friend who could enable the information flow. Donald Edward Blake is the thief who managed to realize a total of seven lottery ticket thefts, as well as stealing cash from Atlas Pizza.
The 37-year-old individual had a well-devised plan for action to accomplish as many successful lottery thefts as possible in the region. According to the information publicly issued, on March 30 he stole lottery tickets from an Esso Gas Station. Almost half a month later he hit a Shell Gas Station.
The month of May saw much more dense activity, as Mr. Blake was able to achieve a total of five thefts from a 7-11 convenience store and two gas stations. This equates to eight counts of theft under CA$5,000 to his name, as well as 14 counts of breaching a probation order.
Seven Thefts over a Two-Month Period
All of the occasions featured a similar pattern, applied by thieves across Canada – the thief enters the store and does their best to keep the store clerk as occupied as possible. They often ask for an item that requires the clerk to turn their back to the cash registry and the lottery tickets showcased near it. This is when the thieves grab as much of those as possible and make their escape.
Mr. Blake will have to appear in court next Tuesday and be held responsible for the criminal acts across Calgary. It is an obvious trend among this type of criminals to hit multiple stores in a brief window of time, such as the thief cuffed in Toronto in March. The 22-year-old individual was arrested mid-March after he had performed some eight thefts of both cash available in the cash registry and lottery tickets.
The crimes took place in Toronto and the Peel area. The police officers arrested Alexander Assing following weeks of research and looking for the criminal. For his thefts, he used a handgun, as well as a disguise. Nevertheless, he was charged with theft under CA$5,000, and disguise with intent.
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