Defendant Required to Pay More Than $8,000 in Restitution
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced an Illinois Department of the Lottery employee pleaded guilty and was sentenced for stealing books of instant lottery tickets and redeeming winning tickets for cash.
Dean F. Derrick, 58, of Springfield, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to one count of theft of governmental property, a Class 2 felony, and one count of official misconduct, a Class 3 felony. Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Ryan M. Cadagin required Derrick to pay $8,235 in restitution and sentenced him to two years of probation. As part of his plea, Derrick also agreed to a substance use disorder evaluation and treatment.
“State employees are tasked with carrying out the work of the public,” Raoul said. “The trust between the public and government employees is broken when an individual decides to personally profit from their position. I will continue to partner with state agencies to hold public employees accountable when they take advantage of their positions of authority for their own gain.”
Raoul charged Derrick and co-defendant Frazier R. Mack in March of 2023 after an investigation found Derrick stole books of instant lottery tickets from retailers while working in his official capacity as a sales representative for the Illinois Lottery. Derrick removed certain books, which he then took to separate retailers to redeem for prize money. Raoul alleged Derrick gave a certain number of stolen winning tickets to Mack, who also redeemed the winning tickets. The alleged offenses occurred between March 23, 2022 and April 13, 2022.
Mack’s case is pending, and his next court date is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2024. The public is reminded he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant Attorneys General Haley Bookhout and Mara Somlo prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.
