Ringleader of 6-person crime syndicate charged with 76 counts of theft in Kentucky

A Kentucky resident is facing 76 charges in connection with various theft cases, including the alleged stealing of Kentucky Lottery tickets and other items worth more than $123,000, Lottery Post reported.

Telnesha Antnetta Brown, an 18-year-old from Louisville, has been charged by the Louisville Metro police with 76 counts of theft on Friday.

Between April 19 and Aug. 24, 37 Louisville Metro businesses were burglarized, and some Kentucky Lottery tickets were taken, according to LMPD. After each burglary, the stolen tickets were immediately cashed. It was later discovered that Brown and others were using the Kentucky Lottery mobile app to check if the tickets were winners before cashing them.

Through a collaboration between LMPD detectives and Kentucky Lottery security officials, it was confirmed that the same individuals responsible for the burglaries were responsible for the stolen tickets and redemptions. Surveillance footage was used to identify Brown and her accomplices.

On Aug. 24, the group robbed a convenience store on Taylorsville Road in Jeffersontown, taking with them lottery tickets. The authorities were notified, and lottery officials traced the tickets to Shorty's Food Mart on W. Broadway in Louisville, where they were being redeemed.

A nearby detective arrived at the scene and witnessed a 17-year-old enter Brown's Jeep Cherokee at Shorty's Food Mart. The police stopped the vehicle on Dixie Highway and found the teenager seated behind Brown, who had a gun in her waistband, according to the arrest report.

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As Brown attempted to escape, she put the car in reverse and collided with other vehicles, police said. Officers arrested Brown, who later confessed to her crime involvement and admitted using her phone to scan the stolen tickets with the Lottery's mobile app. It was found that a total of six individuals were a part of the crime syndicate.

Brown appeared in Jefferson District Court where she entered a plea of not guilty. Following her arraignment, she was put into the Home Incarceration Program and is set to attend a preliminary hearing on Sept. 1.