MIAMI — Miami police say the manager of a food store in the city’s Little Haiti neighborhood was habitually stealing large sums of lottery scratch-off tickets, leading to his arrest on two felony charges Monday.
According to police, the owner of Bargain Stop Market II, located at 249 NW 62nd St., first reported the thefts on Jan. 23, about a week after “discovering that thousands of dollars had been withdrawn from the store’s bank account for Florida Lottery-related transactions.”
An arrest report states that the owner was able to pin the thefts on 34-year-old store manager Rakesh Tanguturi. Police said he initially “denied any involvement or wrongdoing” but later admitted by text message to taking scratch-off ticket books, “cashing them and using the proceeds for personal expenses.”
Police said Tanguturi, of Brickell, stole more than $300,000 worth of tickets. However, they said he paid a chunk of that back to the store, resulting in a net loss of about $60,000.
“Tanguturi stated he had begun repaying the store and requested to be placed on a payment plan to repay the remaining balance,” the report states. “He claimed his actions were motivated by the need to pay for medical care for his father in India, who has since passed away.”
Police said a Florida Lottery investigator determined that the stolen ticket books “were cashed in bulk at a single retailer,” which “is unusual and indicative of fraud.”
After the owner found a replacement manager, officers went to the store on Monday to arrest Tanguturi on charges of organized scheme to defraud and first-degree grand theft.
As of Tuesday, Tanguturi was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $30,000 bond and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
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