BETWEEN March 19 and April 13, Coquitlam RCMP responded to over 17 reports of lottery ticket thefts. After reviewing several incidents with similar modus operandi, seasoned Coquitlam RMCP Robbery Section investigators, with the assistance from other support units, identified the suspect as Jason Perfect. Investigators believe Perfect is also responsible for a number of other alleged lotto ticket thefts.

In the different security footage videos, investigators observed Perfect attempting to purchase a large number of lottery tickets with is debit card. However, in most incidents, the card was declined despite several attempts. While the clerk checked if the PIN pad was working properly, Perfect would allegedly grab the lottery tickets and run out of the store, said Cpl. Jamie Chung.

On April 14, the crime spree came to an end when the trail of stolen tickets led investigators to arrest the 33-year-old Port Coquitlam man.

Perfect is now facing 17 theft charges and has been held in custody since his arrest.