NBC's Chris Hansen, best known for hilariously shaming sexual predators, has apparently moved on from the salacious beat to something way less sensational: tagging along with the California Lottery officials as they investigate lottery ticket fraud. Using his trademark "gotcha!" style (which, if you ask us, seems entirely unnecessary here), Hansen recently busted clerks at a couple local bodegas for attempting to pass off $10,000 winning tickets as their own.
In the hard-hitting segment, Hansen calls out the otherwise friendly seeming Mr. Nguyen, who owns of Lincoln Park Market on Clement Street, for attempting to cash in a $10,000 winner. Hansen's second story, in which he tracks down another 10 grand winner, uses a delightful combination of 3D Bay Area maps, hidden cameras and security footage to follow the fraudulent ticket from a liquor store in the Panhandle, all the way down to Pacifica and then back up to the Cal Lottery office in South San Francisco. And be sure to stay tuned until the 7-minute mark when a surly Upper Haight shopkeeper gets dragged out of his tie-dye shop in handcuffs.
For all Hansen's journalistic efforts, there was still insufficient evidence to bust the owners of the Fulton Street Food Shop. They did lose their lottery contract, however, so while they are still a good place to pick up those hard to find Kinder Eggs, they won't be selling any scratchers anytime soon. Mr. Nguyen at the Lincoln Park Market, on the other hand, pleaded no contest to felony charges of filing a false claim and had to do 30 days of community service.
[RichmondSF] Hat tip: [SFCitizen]
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