Gas station employee stole scratch-off lottery tickets, Southampton police say
Police said Luis Mario Diaz, Jr., stole scratch-off lottery tickets from the Speedway station where he worked on County Road 39 in Southampton. Credit: Google Maps
A Hampton Bays man was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny — and, handed an appearance ticket — after he stole more than $1,000 in New York State Lottery scratch-off tickets from the gas station where he worked in Southampton, Southampton Town police said Thursday.
Police said Luis Mario Diaz, Jr., 23, took the tickets from the Speedway station where he worked on County Road 39. The theft was reported June 11, after police said the business owner noticed $1,002 worth of scratch-off tickets were missing from the daily count.
An investigation by detectives determined Diaz was "removing" the tickets from the scratch-off stack "without paying for them," police said.
It was not immediately clear if any of the stolen tickets were winners — or had been cashed.
The appearance ticket is returnable to Southampton Town Justice Court on June 29, police said. It was not clear if Diaz is represented by counsel.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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