FORMER BALTIMORE CITY POLICE OFFICER GUILTY OF LOTTERY TICKET THEFT SCHEME

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that Darryl Kane, 46 years old, pled guilty in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to felony theft and conspiracy to commit theft in connection with the August 17 and 25, 2001, theft of scratch off instant ticket books from the Maryland State Lottery warehouse, formerly located at 1329 Western Avenue, Baltimore. The Honorable Paul A. Smith imposed a 3 year suspended sentence and placed Kane on 3 years supervised probation and ordered restitution of $12,900 to the Maryland State Lottery.

Kane, a former Baltimore City Police Officer who later worked as a warehouse supervisor for the Maryland State Lottery, and Thomas Barnes, who also worked for the Maryland State Lottery Agency, participated in a scheme whereby Kane would transport Barnes to the lottery warehouse, and Barnes would use his security swipe card to gain entry after hours. Once in the warehouse, he used Kane’s password to access the lottery computer terminal to activate books of scratch off instant ticket books, charging them to a lottery agent in Baltimore County. The winning tickets were cashed at various locations in the county. The lottery’s internal investigation revealed that Barnes was captured on videotape entering the warehouse, and he later admitted to lottery officials he had been in the warehouse after hours. Barnes pled guilty to his role in this theft in July 2003.

In an interview with the Maryland State Police, Barnes acknowledged that the scheme was ongoing during his employment at the lottery; that Kane was the mastermind, that it was Kane’s password that was used to activate the ticket books, and that Kane gave him money and sometimes tickets for his participation. Darryl Kane ceased working at the lottery in May, 2001. Today Kane was found guilty for his role in this scheme.

The case was referred by Principal Counsel to the State Lottery, and investigated by the Maryland State Police, the State Lottery, and the Office of Legislative Audits. It was prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General, Criminal Investigations Division.

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