CHICORA — A former clerk at a convenience store and his friend are accused of stealing more than $12,000 in lottery tickets.

Jacob W. Barnes, 18, of Petrolia is awaiting a hearing in March following his arrest last week on felony charges of retail theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft.

State police also have an arrest warrant for Barnes' co-defendant, Kevin Mackey, 21, of Chicora on felony charges of receiving stolen property, retail theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft.

The alleged crime occurred at the Rummy Mart on South Main Street in Chicora, police said. The store's owner notified authorities Dec. 11 after revenue and lottery tickets — mostly scratch-offs — turned up missing.

The owner told police that the loss in revenue and tickets seemed to coincide with the shifts that Barnes worked, investigators said.

Police that same day confronted Barnes, according to court documents, who “immediately indicated that he was guilty.”

The alleged theft occurred between early October and Dec. 11, 2018, the young man advised. He also implicated Mackey, his friend.

“Barnes indicated that he would (provide) Mackey with lottery tickets without charging him,” a police affidavit said, “and would take tickets of his own without paying.”

The two men, police said, had an agreement that they would split the payoff of any winning tickets.

Investigators pegged the amount of the suspected theft at just over $12,000.

On Friday, Barnes was arraigned by District Judge Lewis Stoughton. He was later released on his own recognizance. He faces a March 26 preliminary hearing at Stoughton's office in Chicora.

Stoughton also issued the arrest warrant for Mackey on Friday.