New Jersey’s Barnegat. Authorities claim that over the course of about three years, a man from Barnegat Township unlawfully got over $50,000 worth of New Jersey Lottery tickets from convenience shop vending machines, leading to accusations of theft.
Following a combined investigation by the Barnegat Township Police Department, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad, and the New Jersey Lottery Commission, Kenneth Franke, 57, was charged on December 4, 2024, with theft by unlawful taking, according to officials.
According to investigators, between January 2022 and December 2024, Franke took lottery tickets out of the vending machines at two Wawa locations in Barnegat and another in Lacey Township without getting paid. On December 4, detectives conducting surveillance allegedly saw Franke get several tickets at a Barnegat Wawa without paying for them.
After being safely taken into custody, Franke was charged by summons and taken to the Barnegat Township Police Headquarters. He is scheduled to make an appearance later in Ocean County Superior Court.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer commended the cooperation of state and local law enforcement in identifying and stopping the multi-location stealing enterprise.
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