Barnegat Township Man Charged With Stealing Lottery Tickets
Sunday, December 8, 2024, 6:45 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ.- Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer reported that, following an investigation, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Kenneth Franke, 57, of Barnegat Township, New Jersey, was taken into custody and charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking in connection with a nearly three-year scheme to steal lottery tickets from two Ocean County Wawa convenience stores.
An investigation by Detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the Barnegat Township Police Department, and the New Jersey Lottery Commission determined that Franke was committing thefts of New Jersey Lottery tickets from vending machines at two Wawa convenience stores, one in Barnegat Township and another in Lacey Township. Further investigation uncovered that Franke had stolen over $50,000 of New Jersey Lottery tickets.
The alleged thefts began in January 2022 and lasted through December 2024 at the time of his arrest.
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Detectives set up surveillance on Franke as he entered the Wawa store in Barnegat Township, New Jersey. Detectives observed Franke obtaining multiple lottery tickets from the vending machine without paying for them.
Following Detectives witnessing the crime, Franke was taken into custody and transported to the Barnegat Township Police Department, where he was processed on the charge and released on a complaint summons pending future court proceedings in Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, New Jersey.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
