SAC CITY – A California couple came to Iowa, committed a string of burglaries, and then tried to cash in their stolen winning lottery tickets.
On December 30, 2023 at approximately 4:29 AM, Sac City Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at The Brew located at 210 W Main Street in Sac City, Iowa. Officers found the front door pried open. Stolen from The Brew were the Iowa Lottery Scratch Ticket kiosk and numerous vape pens. In a joint investigation with the Fort Dodge Police Department, law enforcement learned the following:
On December 24, 2023 39-year-old Samantha Flippo and 50-year-old Robert Price of Sacramento, California worked jointly to commit Burglary 3rd Degree by entering without right to do so of an occupied structure to commit theft at Dale’s Corner Store in Fort Dodge, Iowa by stealing the Iowa Lottery Scratch Ticket kiosk.
From December 25 to December 29 Flippo and Price received cash winnings from the stolen scratch tickets taken from Dale’s Corner Store in Fort Dodge, Iowa at various gas stations in Ida County, Sac County, and Webster County, committing multiple counts of Lottery – Forgery or Theft of Ticket for financial gain on a continuing basis.
On December 25, 2023 Flippo and Price committed five counts of Lottery – Forgery or Theft of Ticket at The Brew in Sac City, Iowa.
On December 30, 2023 Flippo and Price worked jointly to commit Burglary 3rd Degree by entering without right to do so of an occupied structure to commit theft at The Brew in Sac City, Iowa stealing the Iowa Lottery Scratch Ticket kiosk from The Brew along with a large quantity of vape pens.
From December 30 to December 31, Flippo and Price received cash winnings from the stolen scratch tickets taken from The Brew in Sac City, Iowa at various gas stations in Webster County, committing multiple counts of Lottery – Forgery or Theft of Ticket for financial gain on a continuing basis.
On December 31, 2023 Flippo and Price were located by the Fort Dodge Police Department and taken into custody. A search warrant was executed at the room Flippo and Price were discovered in at the Quality Inn in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Lottery Tickets were discovered tied to The Brew concealed in a bathroom air vent of the room. These lottery scratch tickets were confirmed as being ones stolen from The Brew by the Iowa Lottery Investigatio Unit.
With the above information, Sac City Police Department has charged:
Samantha Flippo of Sacramento, California with Burglary 3rd Degree, a class D Felony; Ongoing Criminal Conduct, a class B Felony; and five counts of Lottery – Forgery or Theft of Ticket, a class D Felony.
Robert Price of Sacramento, California with Burglary 3rd Degree, a class D Felony; Ongoing Criminal Conduct, a class B Felony; and five counts of Lottery – Forgery or Theft of Ticket, a class D Felony.
This investigation is still ongoing and additional charges are possible.
Assisting the Sac City Police Department with this investigation was the Fort Dodge Police Department, Sac County Sheriff Office, Ida County Sheriff Office, and the Iowa Lottery Investigation Unit.
