(COLORADO) — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced on Monday, April 28, that a Colorado grand jury indicted four people for committing a series of thefts involving Colorado Lottery instant-win scratch game tickets across the state.

Three suspects–Richard McBee, Adam Pacheco, and Tawny McCurry–were indicted in El Paso County. The case against the fourth suspect, David Goetken, was filed in Arapahoe County.

According to the indictments, McBee committed at least 45 separate thefts of lottery scratch tickets between August 2023 and November 2024. McBee followed similar patterns with each theft, targeting gas stations and stores with only one clerk. McBee or his accomplice would then lure the clerk away or distract them by purchasing propane tanks, claiming a credit card was stuck in a gas pump, or spilling gasoline.

While they were distracted, McBee would then sneak around the counter and steal high-value lottery scratch tickets from the store’s dispenser. McBee would then redeem prizes from the stolen lottery tickets at other gas stations before the theft was discovered.

According to the Attorney General, between the retail value of the stolen tickets and the prize money, the total value of the thefts was over $150,000.

“The individuals accused of these lottery ticket retail thefts harmed businesses along the Front Range. Colorado Lottery sales proceeds go toward preserving and protecting state parks, trails, and open spaces, so Coloradans who enjoy the great outdoors are also victims of Lottery theft,” said Attorney General Weiser. “I am grateful for the team effort with local law enforcement and Lottery investigators. We’ll hold these individuals to account for their actions and the harm they caused to the victims and our state.”  

McBee was charged with four counts of Felony Theft, Pacheco with one count of Felony Theft, McCurry with one count of Felony Theft, and Goetken with one count of Felony Theft.