Northfield Woman Charged with Stealing Lottery Tickets From Work

A Northfield woman made her first appearance in Rice County District Court on Tuesday for allegedly stealing Minnesota State Lottery tickets from the gas station she worked at and cashing them in for more than $2,000.

Deanna Rae Rodriquez-Bella, 20, faces state lottery fraud and theft charges, both felonies. If convicted of both charges, she faces up to 15 years in prison and/or a $60,000 fine.

According to a criminal complaint filed with Rice County District Court, Rodriquez-Bella started stealing scratch-off tickets in May 2011 from , where she worked as a clerk, until she was confronted in November by police with the store's video surveillance.

Most of the tickets were cashed at Amcon, but some were cashed at other gas stations in Northfield, according to the complaint.

When interviewed by , Rodriquez-Bella admitted she stole the tickets and said she took five to 10 during each shift she worked. She said she didn’t know how many tickets she took, according to the complaint. 

It’s alleged Rodriquez-Bella took $2,145 worth of tickets. A list from Amcon showed 400 lottery tickets missing.

Rodiquez-Bella told police she knew taking the tickets was wrong, but said she needed the money.

Her next court appearance is March 13.

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