This is a preliminary inquiry decision in which the Crown sought committal on seven counts arising from the theft of lottery tickets at a convenience store and the subsequent fraudulent claim of a $12.5 million lottery prize.
The accused were charged with theft of lottery tickets, possession of stolen property, fraud against the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, possession of proceeds of crime, and money laundering.
The Crown's case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence derived from lottery transaction records showing a pattern of "split ticket" thefts where free play tickets generated from original tickets were validated at different locations and times.
The defence argued the evidence was speculative and that alternative explanations existed.
The court found sufficient evidence to commit all three accused to trial on all seven counts.
