$6,500 worth of lottery tickets stolen from 8 locations; Reston man arrested

RESTON, VA – A 39-year-old Reston man was arrested Thursday in connection with the theft of $6,500 in lottery tickets from eight Fairfax County locations in September.

Officers responded Sept. 15 to a report of a theft and robbery at a convenience store in the 2900 block of Chain Bridge Road in Oakton.

According to police, a preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, later identified as Mohammad Akhtar, went behind the counter of the store and took lottery tickets while the clerk was not looking. Akhtar then attacked the employee and left the scene on foot. The employee suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

According to police, investigators determined that Akhtar was connected to eight similar cases in September in which more than $6,500 worth of lottery tickets were stolen.

On Thursday, investigators arrested Akhtar and charged him with grand theft, five counts of theft under false pretenses and five counts of petty theft, according to FCPD. He was subsequently held without bail

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 5. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by telephone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477). , and via web – click HERE. Download the P3 Tips app and follow the steps to Fairfax Co Crime Solvers.