A Mt. Vernon woman pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday, July 21, to two felony charges in a wife fraud scheme in which she and others defrauded the Missouri State Lottery. Amy Young, 42, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the Missouri Western District Federal Courthouse in Springfield.
According to the indictment in the case, Young went to a gas station in Joplin with others between July 22, 2022, and Aug. 18, 2022, where they are accused of using the credit cards and numbers to purchase lottery tickets through the gas station’s credit card reader machine. If the ticket won, the indictment said, she would have those working with her present the winning ticket to claim the prize. They would then give her a portion of the winnings. Young purchased at least 1,957 lottery tickets in the amount of $62,082.50 using the stolen credit cards and won $54,248.00 in cash prizes through the scheme. With her guilty plea, Young will be required to forfeit $116,330.50, the amount she is accused of receiving through stolen credit card transfers and winnings from the lottery tickets she allegedly purchased fraudulently…