Kansas Criminal Case for Altered Lottery Tickets Begins

TOPEKA, Kansas – Dec. 15, 2000—As reported by the Lawrence Journal-World: "Ten people, including former Kansas Lottery chief Greg Ziemak, of Lawrence, have been ordered by state prosecutors to appear at the preliminary hearing for a former lottery employee that starts Monday, according to court documents.

"Richard Knowlton, formerly in charge of the lottery's computer system, was charged in September with altering more than 100 scratch-off lottery tickets, making them winners worth nearly $63,000.

"… He said he altered 12 tickets to warn his supervisors that security of the lottery games could be breached.

"….Some of the documents not sealed show that Assistant Atty. Gen. Stephen Maxwell has called current and former Kansas Lottery employees, including Ziemak, to appear at the hearing.

"He has also called an Idaho Lottery official, Becky Schroeder.

"….Knowlton sent Schroeder an envelope and asked her to date it March 25, 1999, nearly a year before she received it, according to Maxwell.

"Inside was a letter written by Knowlton, dated March 20, 1999, in which Knowlton detailed a plan to alter tickets and cash them to demonstrate security problems, according to Maxwell…"