KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Two Nappanee residents were arrested after using fraudulent pull-tabs to win money at local bars.

Sterling Templeton, 36, 453 South Main Street, Nappanee, and Niccole Marie Paschall, 35, 452 South Main Street, Nappanee, are both being charged with counterfeiting, a level 6 felony and theft, a class A misdemeanor.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, an Indiana State Excise Police Officer received information of a possible pull-tabs scheme involving Templeton.

On Dec. 14, the officer met with an employee of the Barbee Hotel who advised that Templeton and Paschall and another female had been at the hotel previously. The employee told the officer that after Templeton had been playing pull-tabs for a short time, he cashed in winning tickets for a total of $151. A short time later Paschall had cashed in a $50 winning ticket.

The Barbee Hotel provided the signed, fraudulent pull-tabs to the officer. The tickets were not from The Barbee Hotel’s permit and were counterfeit.

On Dec. 15, the officer met with an employee of The Keg who had been working on Dec. 2. The employee advised that while she had been working, Templeton and a female had entered the bar and had begun playing pull-tabs, a popular gaming ticket. Almost immediately, the two had several winning pull-tabs and cashed them in for a total of $130. The employee remembered the situation because regular patrons had been talking about not winning while the new people had been winning.

Templeton and Pachall were booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Jan. 27 with $5,750 surety and cash bonds.