Winona Lake couple facing charges for lottery ticket scam

A Winona Lake couple are facing charges in Allen County after police allege they stole lottery tickets from several convenience stores.

41-year-old Paul Adams and 39-year-old Rachael Adams face charges of corrupt business influence after the Indiana State Police say they were scamming convenience stores between January and February.

Detectives say the couple would use distraction techniques to steal lottery tickets, then go to a different store to cash in the winning tickets.

This isn’t the first crime on the books for the two. Paul Adams is in the Kosciusko County Jail serving time on a drug possession charge, and Rachael Adams is scheduled for a January trial after police say she forged checks belonging to a deceased man to make purchases.