Lottery ticket thief is accused of stealing thousands of scratch-off tickets from Virginia stores

OAKTON, Va. – A man is behind bars after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of lottery tickets from convenience stores across Fairfax County.

According to police, Mohammad Akhtar, 39, was arrested after a series of scratch card thefts totaling nearly $7,000.

According to authorities, Akhtar entered various stores and waited for employees to become distracted before grabbing a supply of lottery tickets.

At a 7-Eleven in Oakton, Akhtar allegedly attacked an employee during one of his thefts. The entire incident was captured on surveillance cameras.

“I saw the video of what happened. He was working here and then went in to do something,” said Monirul Hoque, the owner of 7-Eleven.

In the footage, Hoque's employee can be seen walking into the back office to complete paperwork as Akhtar approaches the cash register.

“He came right here. And from the camera he took most of the expensive ones, like $50 pieces,” Hoque added, referring to the high-value scratch cards.

Hoque said when the clerk confronted the suspect, Akhtar left the store with the tickets.

“He started running after him, but he called the police and the police came,” Hoque explained.

Fairfax County police began investigating the robbery on Sept. 15 and quickly linked Akhtar to several similar thefts in the area. Between Sept. 11 and Sept. 25, they discovered he stole more than $6,500 worth of lottery tickets from businesses in Dunn Loring, Tysons, Burke and Chantilly.

“In a place like here in Oakton, I’m very shocked that it happened here,” Hoque noted.

Despite his surprise, he expressed relief that police had arrested the suspect.

“$1,005, I know exactly how much,” he said, referring to the total amount Akhtar allegedly stole from his store.

Hoque has reached out to the Virginia Lottery regarding the incident and is awaiting a response. Fairfax County police are continuing their investigation into Akhtar's total winnings, which are currently estimated at over $6,500.