HOT SPRINGS -- An employee of a convenience store was arrested Sunday on multiple counts of lottery fraud after attempting to cash lottery tickets stolen from her store last month, according to court documents.
Shakenyah Louise James, 22, of Hot Springs was taken into custody in the 200 block of Blacksnake Road by Mountain Pine police on felony warrants for nine counts of lottery fraud, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of theft of property less than $1,000, punishable by up to one year in jail.
James was being held on $23,500 bond and appeared via video Monday in Garland County District Court, where she pleaded innocent to all the charges. A felony review hearing is set for July 1.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Michael Tenison with the Arkansas Lottery fraud division contacted Hot Springs police April 8 regarding 150 stolen lottery tickets, with a total value of $300, that were taken from the Shell station at 866 Park Ave.
He said the tickets were delivered by United Parcel Service on April 1, shortly after 4:30 p.m., and were signed for by an employee, identified as James. Tenison noted the tickets had not been activated so they could not be redeemed for the cash prize.
Tenison discovered one ticket was scanned April 1 at the Shell Station, the affidavit said. Seven other tickets were scanned at the Exxon at 1200 Central Ave. the next day, and one ticket was scanned at the Phillips 66 at 200 E. Grand Ave. on April 3.
Tenison said James was the person who attempted to pass the tickets, according to the affidavit. While working at the Shell, she scanned the first ticket and when the system refused to accept it, she called the lottery commission to complain there was a problem with the system, the affidavit said.
Tenison told detectives he observed photos from the Exxon and Phillips 66 showing James attempting to scan the other eight tickets.
Detective Shawn Stillian obtained video from the Shell store on the day of the incident that showed James working behind the counter when United Parcel Service delivered a white bag containing 300 lottery tickets, according to the affidavit. She signed for the package and then opened the bag with scissors and put the bag under the counter.
James then removed some of the lottery tickets and exited the store with an unknown black male, the affidavit said. James and the man re-entered the store, and James went behind the counter and scanned one ticket several times. She was then seen calling the lottery commission to complain, corroborating Tenison's statement.
The affidavit noted that James was the only employee in the video, and the store's owner later confirmed she was the only employee working at the time of the incident. A warrant for her arrest was issued Wednesday.
State Desk on 05/07/2019