IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE

 

January 5, 2006

 

CONTACT: David Workman

(208) 334-2600

Angie Sillonis

(208) 455-6090

 

 

ALTERED LOTTERY TICKET LEADS TO CANYON COUNTY ARREST

 

Caldwell – Proving that crime really does not pay, Idaho Lottery detectives worked cooperatively with the Caldwell Police Department to take Jesse Ralls, 19, Caldwell, into custody for knowingly altering a lottery ticket. Further investigation by CPD and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office resulted in Ralls being charged with even more crimes.

 

An acquaintance of Ralls and her companion presented the ticket to lottery officials to claim the jackpot prize of $30,000 for the CashwordTripler game. During the verification process, Lottery detectives determined the game card had been altered, turning a non-winning ticket into an apparent jackpot winner. After further investigation, Lottery Detectives tracked down Ralls for questioning.

 

Ralls was booked into the Canyon County Jail Tuesday, and charged by Canyon County sheriff’s deputies with the theft of a vehicle from Melba, as well as passing stolen checks. Caldwell Police officers are investigating Ralls’ alleged use of stolen credit cards and jewelry, as well. 

 

Cashword Tripler, a $3 scratch game, requires players to scratch off a set of letters then match those to letters in a crossword puzzle. By scratching off 10 words, a player wins the jackpot of $30,000. In this instance, the letter F had been turned into the letter E, making it possible for the player to present a ticket that looked like a winner.

 

Knowingly altering a lottery ticket is a felony offense and carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. 

 

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