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

A former manager at an Edmonton convenience store is facing fraud charges after allegedly paying himself more than a half million 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," said Det. Jerry Sobchyshyn in a news release Friday.

Hassan Karim Choudhry, 31, was a manager at an unnamed store, part of a national chain, between September 2012 and September 2013 when he manipulated the store's accounting system for pay outs totaling $524,000, Sobchyshyn said.

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

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

Choudhry is charged with fraud over $5,000.