Six people stole hundreds of lottery tickets during a dozen break-ins at convenience stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker.
The break-ins started in Swampscott on Feb. 27 when a glass window at Citgo Gas Station was broken and more than 300 Massachusetts State Lottery scratch tickets had been stolen, police said.
The break-ins continued in March and April in Saugus, Wakefield, Peabody, Marblehead, Wilmington and Lynn. They also happened in four New Hampshire towns, including Seabrook, Nashua, Fremont and Windham.
A store owner in Saugus reported multiple rolls of scratch tickets and cigarettes had been taken. Officers in Peabody found that the cash registers were open and “lottery tickets were ripped off the walls and missing.” And in New Hampshire, police said a plastic container filled with 43 rolls of different scratch tickets was stolen.
Similar incidents happened at each of the locations. Overall, $50,000 worth of lottery tickets were stolen, the district attorney’s office said.
The six people now facing charges in connection with the break ins, including David Garcia, 22, of Lynn; Darwin Batista, 20 of Lynn; Angel Santos, 24 of Lynn; Israel Garcia, 22 of Methuen; Westyn Lantigua, 23 of Lynn; and Aaron Diaz Liranzo, 25 of Revere.
Charges include breaking and entering in the nighttime for felony, larceny of more than $1,200, money laundering, improper use of credit card and wanton destruction of property of more than $1,200.
The six people were arraigned in district court and held without bail until May 30. After being arraigned in Superior Court, the six people are being held without bail until May 8 and 10 when arguments for bail will be heard.
