MITCHELL – Two people were arrested after an investigation by the Indiana Hoosier Lottery.
Ranbir Singh and Lakhwinder “Lucky” Kaur are facing charges of the unlawful sale of lottery tickets.
According to investigator M.L. Dexter with the Hoosier Lottery, Kaur an employee, and Singh, the owner of the Sinclair (Food Mart) located at 4880 State Road 37 in Mitchell were selling lottery tickets without being a licensed retailer.
Kaur committed at least four counts of misrepresentation as a Hoosier Lottery retailer.
“Several incidents occurred involving this retailer from June 2020 to April 2022 in which clear evidence of practices conducted in violation of the Lottery licensing agreement including violations of Indiana Code IC4-30-12-4 which identified the purchase of lottery products by an employee or any relative living in the same household as an employee of the retailer.”
As a result, the Lottery Commission made the decision to terminate the retailer’s Lottery license effective May 11, 2022. Investigator Dexter began his investigation on April 15, 2023, after receiving a report by the Indiana Beverage Commission Enforcement Officer (Excise Police) that they believed Food Mart was still selling Lottery scratch-off tickets.
Investigator Dexter recruited a Gaming Control Officer L. Kleeman to visit the business undercover to ask if they had lottery tickets for sale. Kleeman purchased tickets at the store on three occasions from “Lucky” Kaur.
- On March 22, Kleeman purchased one $3 Ice Cold 7s ticket
- On March 29, Kleeman purchased two $2 Wild Multipliers
- On April 4, Kleeman purchase one $2 Paradise Payout and two $1 Hot 5 tickets. During that sale Kleeman requested a receipt for her purchases and on that receipt was the business name and address and time and date of purchase.
On May 11, 2023 Hoosier Lottery Investigator Andy Morgan purchased one $50 Supreme Cash ticket and one $20, $10,000 Loaded ticket. The investigator then identified himself and a search warrant was then executed at the establishment. Kaur then called Singh to come to the station.
Singh told the investigator, he knew he was selling Lottery tickets without a license but then refused to answer any other questions.
Warrants were then issued for Kaur’s and Singh’s arrests.
