THE
HUNTERDON COUNTY NEWS |
TITLE: Elizabeth Man Indicted on Charges He Fraudulently Attempted to Collect $7,000 from New Jersey Lottery with Altered Ticket
DESCRIPTION:
Time: 11:11:21
Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that an Elizabeth man was indicted today for allegedly attempting to collect $7,000 from the New Jersey Lottery Commission with a scratch-off ticket he knew had been altered.
According to Director Paw, Ishak Y. Boutros, 31, of Elizabeth, was indicted by a state grand jury on charges of third-degree attempted theft by deception and fourth-degree forgery. The charges resulted from a joint investigation by the New Jersey Lottery Commission and the Division of Criminal Justice - Major Crimes Bureau.
On Dec. 4, 2007, Boutros submitted a claim form seeking reimbursement from the Lottery Commission for a Magnificent 7 scratch-off ticket. He claimed he bought the ticket at the gas station and store where he worked on Spring Street in Elizabeth and scratched off the Tic Tac Toe game to find three 7’s in a row, a combination worth $7,000. However, each time he tried to scan and cash the ticket, the lottery terminal indicated the ticket was invalid.
The investigation revealed that the ticket was not a winner, but had been altered to make it appear that there were three 7’s in a row. It was determined that Boutros made repeated attempts to scan the ticket at the store where he worked on Dec. 3 and 4, and also had it scanned several times unsuccessfully at a deli in his neighborhood on Dec. 4.
The Lottery Commission investigated the case jointly with Detective John Neggia of the Division of Criminal Justice - Major Crimes Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Valerie Noto presented the case to the grand jury.
Third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and a fine of $15,000, while fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in state prison and a $10,000 fine. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The indictment was handed up in Superior Court in Mercer County, where Boutros will be ordered to appear at a later date to answer the charges.