West Newton woman accused of stealing $82K in lottery tickets

A West Newton woman is accused of stealing about $82,000 worth of Pennsylvania Lottery tickets from December 2024 to June 12 from the Hempfield gas station where she worked, according state police.

Cheryl C. Keller, 52, of North Second Street, allegedly took the lottery tickets from the BP gas station at 449 Wendel Road, where she was a store manager, police said in a criminal complaint filed last week.

Police said Keller admitted that she took individual lottery tickets and “quite a few” partial packs of lottery tickets. During a search of her purse, Keller had two “$1,000,000 Lion’s Share” scratch-off lottery tickets, police said.

Store owner Chris Reehl could not be reached for comment. Keller did not have an attorney listed on court documents and could not be reached for comment at her residence.

Police said Reehl had noticed several discrepancies regarding the store’s financial balances and an audit uncovered about $82,000 of unaccounted lottery tickets. Keller allegedly was captured on video surveillance taking lottery tickets, and Reehl told police he saw her taking lottery tickets and placing them in her purse while in the manager’s office.

Keller was charged with a third-degree felony count of retail theft. She was arraigned before Jeannette District Judge Joseph DeMarchis on Friday and released on $25,000 unsecured bond pending a preliminary hearing on June 26.

The criminal complaint did not indicate if there were winnings from any of the tickets or the number of tickets that were stolen.

“The price-points (cost) determine the value of the ticket. Any winning prizes are not included in that overall tally,” said Ewa Swope, a lottery spokeswoman.

There are several different price-points for the cost of Lottery Scratch-Offs, ranging from $1 to $50, Swope said.

The Pennsylvania Lottery declined to comment on the case because it remains under criminal investigation.

But, when there is an allegation that lottery tickets have been stolen, the lottery retailer typically works to determine the face value of all tickets that have been stolen and reports that information to the law enforcement agency in charge of the investigation, Swope said.