Crime

Burglars made off with lottery tickets on the North Shore. But can they use them?

Anyone looking to win big off a stolen lottery ticket is in for a rude awakening.

By Abby Patkin

March 14, 2024

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Marblehead police are investigating after someone allegedly broke into a convenience store early on Wednesday and made off with stolen lottery tickets.

Officers responded to a burglar alarm at 29 Smith St. — the address of a Richdale Convenience Store — around 3:49 a.m. Wednesday, police said in a statement.

“Upon arrival, an audible alarm could be heard coming from the location, and officers observed a front window smashed, large enough to gain entry inside,” the statement read. According to police, the store was closed at the time and a search of the surrounding area turned up no suspects.

There is no threat to the community, police said. 

Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King confirmed that lottery tickets were stolen during the break-in. Richdale Convenience employee Jay Patel told WCVB that the stolen scratch tickets ranged in value from $2 to $30. 

Wednesday’s break-in mirrors two recent burglaries at convenience stores in Wakefield and Peabody. According to WBZ, suspects broke into Salem Variety Store in Wakefield early on March 6 and grabbed handfuls of scratch tickets. About an hour later, three masked individuals broke into A-One Market in Peabody and made off with stacks of $50 scratch tickets, the news outlet reported.

Police in Wakefield and Peabody did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Marblehead police urged anyone with information on the latest break-in to call the department at 781-631-1212 or email Sgt. Detective Sean Brady at [email protected].

“We are actively working the investigation and I wouldn’t comment on the status at this time, nor the relationship to other communities,” King said when asked about a possible connection to the Wakefield and Peabody break-ins. 

Anyone looking to win big off of stolen lottery tickets is in for a rude awakening, according to lottery officials. 

“The Lottery is able to flag stolen tickets to prevent them from being cashed and assists law enforcement and store owners in resolving these cases,” Mark William Bracken, executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery, said in a statement.