Man accused in lotto tickets theft is charged

More than nine months after tickets were taken from the Circle K on Macon Road and tampered with to influence winning a prize, Columbus police arrested a second suspect on Wednesday.

Brandon Wysinger, 23, of Columbus was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant about 2 p.m. and held in the Muscogee County Jail for a 9 a.m. Saturday hearing in Recorder’s Court.

The charge stems from a June 16 report at the 3720 Macon Road convenience store on the theft of lotto tickets. Police said $177 worth of lotto tickets were taken and altered to influence winning a prize.

Police said the theft occurred sometime between May 27 and June 8. A day after police were called to the store, a Cataula man who worked at the store as a clerk was accused of not paying for lotto tickets.

Mark Christopher Lee, 27, was charged with three counts of theft by taking on June 17. Police said Lee intentionally tampered with lottery tickets at the convenience store and didn’t pay for them while working as a clerk.

This story was originally published March 30, 2017 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Man accused in lotto tickets theft is charged."