UPDATE: The Westchester County District Attorney, based on this report, had made contact with the New York State Attorney General.
“We reached out to the AG’s office, said Lucian Chalfen, the Westchester district attorney’s office spokesman. “We advised them that if they find evidence of criminal conduct we would further review the matter for prosecution if appropriate.”
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A former New York State Lottery Sales Agent in New Rochelle is the subject of a New York State Attorney General civil proceeding to recover over $100,000 that has gone missing, Talk of the Sound has confirmed.
The AG’s office identified the Lottery Sales Agent as Soneea Raquib, doing business as Wykagyl Stationary. Efforts by Talk of the Sound to locate Soneea Raquib were unsuccesful.
A Talk of the Sound investigation began based on a reader tip, which claimed that a man who ran Wykagyl Stationery at 1295 North Avenue was seen leaving the story with a large bag of cash, had absconded with $100,000 and left the country for Pakistan.
Carolyn Hapeman, spokesperson for the New York State Gaming Commission, confirmed that the Wykagyl Stationery store had been shut down and that over $100,000 was missing.
Hapeman said the store was “pinned off” on January 31st, meaning that lottery terminals were shut down and efforts made to get back scratch off tickets,
The stores license was revoked in February and the matter referred to the New York State Attorney General’s office.
A spokesperson for the Civil Recovery Bureau of the Attorney General’s office confirmed a referral had been made to the AG and that there was a civil proceeding underway to recoup the money. She stressed that there was no criminal investigation because the Civil Recovery Bureau does not have enforcement matter, that it would be a matter for local police or the District Attorney.
The Civil Recovery Bureau sent a letter to Soneea Raquib in June. The letter requests the money be returned. If the money is not returned a civl lawsuit would be initiated.
The AG has no information at this time that any theft of state property had occurred and encouraged those with information to contact the New Rochelle Police Department or the Westchester County District Attorney.
According to a former Lottery Sales Agent who spoke with Talk of the Sound, the allegations related to the Wykagyl Stationary are not uncommon and typically involve a sales agent continuing to sell New York State Lottery tickets and instant scratch off tickets without remitting the funds to New York State.
The New York Lottery contributed $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2012-2013 to help support education in New York State, nearly 15 percent of total state education funding to local school districts.
In effect, the Wykagyl Stationary is alleged to have stolen money intended for education in the state including the New Rochelle school district.
Our source, who asked not to be identified, said tickets sold through a lottery machine must be paid for every week and scratch off tickets, sold in “books”, must be paid for every 6 weeks.
He expressed surprise that a lottery sales agent would be able to have such a large amount of credit that they would be able to take over $100,000.