Georgia Man Charged in Mount Pleasant Skill Game Theft Worth Over $20K
GEORGIA – A Georgia man is behind bars after police say he participated in a coordinated scheme that stole over $21,000 from a skill game machine at a convenience store in Mount Pleasant.
Police Called to Store During Theft in Progress
Officers responded to the Mount Pleasant Express on August 13 after an employee noticed suspicious activity involving the store’s skill game machines. When police arrived, they encountered Brian Antonio Oliver, 23, of Sumter, Georgia, walking toward an alley behind the store. He was immediately detained by police.
Officers found Oliver carrying two wads of $20 bills totaling $360, along with a winning ticket worth $180. Police also recovered a key believed to be used to unlock the skill game machines, according to TribLIVE.
Surveillance Footage Captures Fraud Scheme
Store surveillance showed two men unlocking a skill game machine and printing off dozens of fake winning tickets. One of the men then handed three of those tickets to Oliver, who redeemed two of them at the in-store kiosk. Police say a total of 62 fraudulent tickets were created, most of which were worth $180 each, with a few ranging between $140 and $280. The total value of cash and tickets taken was estimated at $21,303.
Suspect Claims He Didn’t Know Other Men
Oliver told police he didn’t know the two other suspects and had just met them earlier that day at a nearby restaurant. Still, authorities believe the three acted in concert, and Oliver is now facing charges of criminal conspiracy and criminal mischief. He was booked into Westmoreland County Jail on $50,000 bail, where he remains in custody.
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