Garrett Dean Marler	David Scott Albrecht	Search warrant served at this residence.
Stolen Lottery tickets recovered 15 November, 2013

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
BAXTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND LAKEVIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT

     Two men are in custody in the Baxter County Detention Center on charges related to the burglary of a convenience store in Lakeview and theft of lottery tickets.  On November 13, 2013 at approximately 9:41 PM, Baxter County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a burglary alarm at the Snappy Mart Convenience Store in Lakeview.  On arrival, deputies found that a window had been broken out at the store and entry made.  Preliminary observations revealed that a plexiglass display rack that contained a quantity of Arkansas lottery tickets was missing.

     A joint investigation into the burglary was initiated by the Sheriff’s Office and the Lakeview Police Department.  It was determined that 1,116 scratch-off Arkansas lottery tickets had been stolen with a face value of $2,725.00.  Lakeview Police officials immediately contacted the Arkansas Lottery Commission in Little Rock to report the theft in order that blocks could be placed on those tickets should anyone attempt to redeem winning tickets. 

     At approximately 11:12 PM, a then-unidentified male attempted to redeem 21 scratch-off lottery tickets at the Flash Market #384 Convenience Store in Midway.  This attempt was captured on the store’s security video system.  The Lottery Commission had already flagged the tickets as stolen, and the suspect was unable to redeem them.  The next morning, November 14^th, the same suspect attempted to redeem tickets at the Novak Liquor Store in Midway, which again were denied.

     On the afternoon of November 14^th, a woman came to the Sheriff’s Office to file a report.  She reported that earlier that day she was asked by 30 year old DAVID SCOTT ALBRECHT of Whiteville if she would like to buy some lottery tickets that had already been scratched off.  The total of the winnings was indicated to be $87.00, and this woman gave ALBRECHT $27.00 for those 4 tickets.  She then took them the Citgo Convenience Store in Gassville and attempted to redeem them.  The store clerk indicated the tickets had been reported stolen, which the woman then reported to the Sheriff’s Office.

     At approximately 4:45 PM on November 14^th, Sheriff’s personnel and other officers executed a search warrant at the residence of DAVID SCOTT ALBRECHT at 101 Dupont Lane in Whiteville.  During the search, officers found three scratch-off lottery tickets in the trash can in the kitchen.  The numbers on the tickets matched those that had been stolen from the Lakeview Snappy Mart.  Remnants of the plexiglass display case were found in a burn barrel outside.  The search was completed at approximately 6:37 PM.

     During the investigation, 20 year old GARRETT DEAN MARLER of Lakeview was developed as the suspect in the Snappy Mart burglary, as well as the person who had attempted to redeem stolen lottery tickets at the two Midway businesses.  Officers learned that MARLER would be traveling by vehicle to his residence in Lakeview later that evening.  Lakeview Police set up to watch for him.  He was located and taken into custody.  After being taken to the Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed, GARRETT MARLER was booked into the Detention Center at approximately 1:37 AM on the morning of November 15^th.  He initially told officers that the remaining lottery tickets had been destroyed, however 848 of the stolen tickets were later recovered at his residence in Lakeview.  Some had been scratched off and some had not.

     GARRETT DEAN MARLER is being held in the Detention Center on the following charges:

     Commercial Burglary – Class C Felony
     Theft of Property – Class D Felony
     Lottery Fraud (24 counts) – Class D Felonies

     MARLER has a bond of $35,000.00, and he is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court on November 21^st.

     DAVID SCOTT ALBRECHT is being held in the Detention Center on the following charges:

    Theft by Receiving – Class A Misdemeanor
     Contempt of Court – Misdemeanor Warrant – City of Gassville

     ALBRECHT has a bond of $790.00, and he will appear in District Court on November 21^st.

     Agencies involved in the investigation and subsequent arrests were the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeview Police Department, Gassville Police Department, 14^th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Securities and Fraud Division of the Arkansas Lottery Commission.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff

/s/ Dave Manley,
Lakeview Chief of Police