FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT INFO:
Chief Skyler Genest
Director, Office of Compliance and Enforcement
802-477-2429
Skyler.Genest@vermont.gov
Guilty Convictions in Break Open Ticket Case Investigations
MONTPELIER, VT – July 16th, 2019 – Two separate cases investigated by the Department of Liquor and Lottery in Chittenden County involving fraudulent sales and/or accounting of break open ticket proceeds have been resolved in Criminal Court.
Brendan A. McGrath, owner of The Rotisserie on Williston Road in South Burlington was arraigned on September 10th, 2018 for three counts of Embezzlement and 1 count of False Information to Law Enforcement Officers.
Theodore Shaw, Director and Treasurer for the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #1618 on Williston Road in South Burlington was arraigned on March 7th, 2019 for two counts of Embezzlement. On June 7th, 2019, Shaw plead guilty to the two Embezzlement charges and sentenced to 14 days of Furlough.
Gambling in Vermont is permissible only if all generated proceeds are used by non-profit organizations for the purpose of raising funds to be used in charitable, religious, educational, and civic undertakings or used by fraternal organizations to provide direct support to charitable, religious, educational, or civic undertakings with which they are affiliated.
During the 2018 legislative session the Department of Liquor and Lottery was tasked with creating a reporting format for non-profits to provide the State with documentation attesting to the funding levels to non-profits generated through the sale of break open tickets. Effective immediately, non-profit organizations that are involved in generating funding through the sales of break open tickets are required to submit quarterly reports to the DLC to document how many tickets the non-profit purchased from a licensed distributor, the serial numbers of those tickets, and the net proceeds received by the organization through the sale of these tickets. Non-profits are encouraged to contact the Department of Liquor and Lottery with any questions about reporting, or with any information regarding the misuse of funds generated by the sale of break open tickets.