Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrest of a Mahopac man accused of stealing lottery tickets from a store in which he worked. Mr. Joseph T. Salese, aged 26, of 7 Valerie Lane in Mahopac, who was employed as a cashier at the Mobil-on-the-Run Convenience Mart on Bryant Pond Road in Putnam Valley, is charged with larceny in the case.

On January 11, 2010, the owner of the store notified the Sheriff’s Office that $500 worth of Scratch-Off Instant Winner lottery tickets had been taken from the business. Sheriff’s Investigator Thomas Corless was assigned to the case, which he investigated in conjunction with members of the New York State Lottery Security Division.

The probe led investigators to Mr. Salese, who allegedly stole and scratched-off the tickets for himself. He reportedly redeemed winning tickets at other lottery retailers in Mahopac, receiving a total of about $270 in ill-gotten winnings.

Inv. Corless arrested Mr. Salese on January 14th and charged him with Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, and a possible order of restitution for the stolen property.

The defendant was arraigned before Philipstown Town Justice Stephen Tomann, acting on behalf of the Putnam Valley Justice Court, and was remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 secured bond. Mr. Salese was subsequently released on cash bail. The investigation is continuing and additional criminal charges may be forthcoming.