Joan Lechleitner and Kerry Titus

In this Sept. 17, 2015 photo, Joan Lechleitner and Kerry Titus, both of Pottsville, stand next to the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 the couple bought with money they won playing the Cash 5 lottery game in September 2015. The couple were charged Tuesday, May 31, 2016, along with two other former employees with stealing from the Agway store in Cressona that they bought the winning ticket from. (Nick Meyer/The Republican-Herald via AP)

Two of the four people charged with stealing more than $175,000 from an Agway store in Cressona are accused of using the stolen money to buy a winning $1 million lottery ticket, according to an Associated Press report.

State police said Joan Lechleitner and her fiance, Kerry Titus, bought the winning Cash 5 ticket worth more than $1,047,618 with money they stole from May 2011 to March 2016. A criminal complaint obtained by the Associated Press revealed that the couple -- along with two other former employees, Samantha Schaeffer and Tyler Schappell -- rang up fake returns during that period and pocketed the money.

Some of the stolen money was used to buy lottery tickets during the time frame, including the $1 million winner on Sept. 11. Lechleitner split the winnings with four others, netting $264,904.50, according to state lottery officials.



Lechleitner told the Republican Herald in Pottsville that Titus bought the ticket, noting that the couple used the money to buy a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado. She said the pair also planned to honeymoon in Mexico and add a backyard pool.

The store's owner, Ronald Yordy, reportedly installed hidden cameras, which caught the group stealing the money and buying lottery tickets, police said. Yordy told police he had to borrow money to keep the store open because of the thefts.

A forensic audit and statements from the defendants helped police determine the amount stolen, according to the report.

All four suspects face eight charges for the thefts, including six felony counts. Preliminary hearings have been set for July 5.