Sallisaw man charged with embezzling lottery tickets from employer

A Sallisaw man has been charged with a felony count of embezzlement after allegedly taking lottery tickets worth more than $1,000 from his employer without his employer‚s permission.

Robert D. McGowan, 31, was charged Oct. 5 in Sequoyah County District Court and if found guilty, could face imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not more than two years, in the county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both fine, imprisonment and restitution.

Sallisaw Police officer Deshawna Neff reported on Sept. 22 she was dispatched to the Sallisaw Police Department to take a report regarding theft. The manager of the Pit Stop, located on West Cherokee, said he‚d noticed some scratch off tickets missing along with money from the register, according to the probable cause affidavit. The manager said he watched surveillance video hoping to catch someone taking the scratch off tickets.

The manager said when Mc-Gowan asked to charge $30 worth of gas, he told him the scratch off tickets were missing and for him (McGowan) to come clean. According to the affidavit, McGowan then reportedly admitted to taking the tickets and was terminated.

The manager said McGowan asked if he could have a chance to pay back what he owed the store and the reporting party agreed to let him do so. However, McGowan never paid anything back and the reporting party said he owes the store $1,966.56.

A warrant of arrest was issued for McGowan on Oct. 5, according to court records.