Crime & Safety
$50K Of Lottery Tickets Stolen In Barnegat, Lacey: Prosecutor
Over the course of nearly three years, Kenneth Franke stole more than $50K worth of lottery tickets from Wawa stores, authorities say.
BARNEGAT, NJ — A Barnegat man stole more than $50,000 worth of New Jersey Lottery tickets from Wawa stores in Barnegat and Lacey over the span of nearly three years, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.
Kenneth Franke, 57, was charged with theft by unlawful taking in connection with incidents that occurred between Jan. 2022 and Dec. 2024, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Franke was stealing lottery tickets from vending machines at two Wawa locations in Barnegat and one in Lacey, Billhimer said, amassing more than $50,000 worth since the start.
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It wasn't clear if Franke had won any money from any of the tickets.
On Dec. 4, detectives watched as Franke entered a Wawa in Barnegat and got several lottery tickets from the vending machine without paying properly, Billhimer said.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Franke was taken into custody and processed at the Barnegat Township Police Department, where he was served the charge via summons pending an upcoming first appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.
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