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Portsmouth Police Arrest Lottery Ticket Thief Suspect

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (CBS) -- An arrest has been made in the investigation of a pattern of lottery ticket thefts in the Seacoast region of the state, the Portsmouth Police reported in a prepared statement.

On Tuesday, the Portsmouth Police Department received a call from a Market Basket store clerk who believed he had spotted a suspect wanted in the theft of lottery tickets from the Big Apple Store on Lafayette Road. In the Big Apple thievery on Friday, a man fled with $400 in stolen lottery tickets, which he subsequently redeemed for cash at the local Market Basket.

Other Seacoast towns have open investigations into the theft of lottery tickets as well.  Surveillance photos have been released to the public in the hopes of obtaining help with identifying the suspect.

On Tuesday, the Market Basket clerk gave a description of the suspect and the vehicle that he was driving.

Shortly after receiving the tip, Portsmouth Police Officer Michael Kotsonis spotted a vehicle and driver fitting the description near the Market Basket store.  After the vehicle was stopped, the male driver provided a false name to the police and claimed to have no driver's license, the police said.  Through an on-scene investigation, the driver was subsequently identified as Nathaniel Glavin, 44, of Ocean Park Road in Saco, Maine.

A check of Glavin's license status showed his license to be under suspension, the police said.  He was arrested for operating after suspension and disobeying a police officer.  His vehicle was seized at the scene.

Subsequent investigation established probable cause to charge Glavin with the lottery ticket theft at the Big Apple.  He was charged with one count of theft, a Class A misdemeanor, in addition to the motor vehicle charges, the police said.

Glavin was sent to the Rockingham County Jail on New Year's Eve, where he remained Wednesday held on $10,000 cash bail.  He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday.

Seacoast police departments continue to investigate other similar lottery ticket thefts and request the public's assistance.

Anyone with information regarding these thefts, or information on Glavin, is asked to contact the Portsmouth Police or Crime Stoppers. If you have specific information about the lottery ticket thefts, contact lead investigator Garrett Drew at (603) 610-7625. Crime Stoppers can be reached anonymously at (603) 431-1199, by logging on to www.seacoastcrimestoppers.org or by sending an SMS text to CRIMES (274637) and including TIPSCS in your message.

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