By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A Toledo convenience store employee blamed for a large drop in revenue at her workplace reportedly admitted to police she may have scratched as many as 500 lottery tickets during each shift without paying for them all.
Katrina M. Bowen was fired at the end of September. This week, she was summonsed to Lewis County Superior Court where she faces a charge of first-degree theft.
The loss is estimated at more than $175,000.
An investigation began on Oct. 1 when the owner of the Flying K store and gas station on the 100 block of Cowlitz Street contacted Police Chief John Brockmueller. Gordon Lovell said over the previous few months he and his wife had noticed a loss in sales and upon further analysis, he found a large number of lottery tickets had been played but not paid for, according to charging documents.
When he confronted Bowen, she told him she was keeping track of her ticket purchases in her head, charging documents state.
When confronted by the police chief, the 37-year-old Winlock woman cried, said she had a gambling problem, had worked there for nine years without a pay raise and needed money to live, according to the allegations.
Bowen estimated that during the previous six months she went through about 500 $5 tickets each day, the documents state. And, she allegedly admitted to pocketing money from beer sales.
Bowen went before a judge on Wednesday afternoon where she was allowed to remain free pending trial with a $10,000 unsecured bond.
It was less than four years ago when another Winlock resident was caught stealing lottery tickets at a local grocery store where he was a longtime trusted employee and store manager. Benjamin C. Macy was given 14 months in prison. The losses to Cedar Village IGA were said to be close to $1 million.
Bowen’s arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
This is a very sad situation for those of us who know all parties. Kat was a good woman and seemed to be doing better all the time. I had no idea the secret she was hiding. It’s too bad we didn’t know so we could have helped her as a community… As for Rick & Tonya, they are very generous and loving people; always giving to the community any way they can including volunteer work above the norm. I would strongly encourage anyone who can to stop in and help the good people of Toledo. Buy local. Help them rebuild what they have lost. And please pray for all parties involved…
The state lottery has always been, and will always remain a scam.
Just shows how good the odds are when you ply the lottery. 500 plus tickets and no big winners.
I am not condoning this behavior by any means but you can almost see how it starts. Just a couple of scratch tickets here and there and a plan to put the money in when you get it. Before you know it you are so deep that you can never recover. It is sad for the store owners who lost the revenue and sad that someone made this choice which will have serious consequences for the rest of her life.