Store manager paid himself $524,000 in fake lotto winnings, Edmonton police say

A former manager atan Edmonton convenience store is facing fraud charges after allegedly paying himself more than a halfmillion dollars in lottery prizes for tickets that did not exist.

"The accused was allegedly paying out non-existent lottery tickets to himself until the fraud was discovered and he was terminated from his job," saidDet. JerrySobchyshynin a news release Friday.

HassanKarimChoudhry, 31, was a manager at an unnamed store, part of a national chain,between September 2012 and September 2013 when hemanipulatedthe store's accounting system for pay outstotaling$524,000, Sobchyshyn said.

Choudhry'semployer reported the alleged fraud to police in October 2013.

But it wasn't until this week that police charged him.

Choudhryischarged withfraud over $5,000.