Man Pleads Not Guilty To Stealing Lottery Tickets

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 posted 10:59 AM EDT

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. An Arizona man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges stemming from a burglary in which lottery tickets were stolen from a Palm Springs gas station.

Collin Leonard Feitelson, 25, of Lake Havasu, is also facing charges of selling a controlled substance and possession of stolen property.

Judge B.J. Bjork ordered Feitelson to return to court Wednesday, when he is expected to be charged with additional felonies.

He could be charged with burglary, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia, officials said.

Feitelson's arrest stems from the April 10 theft of lottery tickets from the Shell gas station at 4785 E. Ramon Road. The front door glass was smashed and a large number of lottery scratcher tickets were taken, said Palm Springs

police Sgt. Mitch Spike.

The following day, employees at a 7-Eleven store at 2493 N. Palm Canyon Drive reported to police that a man attempted to cash several of the stolen lottery tickets, authorities said.

Lottery tickets have serial numbers, and the state Lottery Commission can track them.

Police looked at surveillance videotapes at the convenience store and recognized the man from previous contacts, Spike said. Officers later learned that Feitelson was staying at the Musicland motel.

Feitelson allegedly admitted that he was smoking crack cocaine as officers arrived at his motel room on Palm Canyon Drive, Spike said.

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