Deferred Prosecution Deal Made in Lottery Fraud Case

Carrie and Riah Kuenzi (Photo by Jana Birchum)

Six months after Carrie and Zachariah (Riah) Kuenzi learned that they'd been charged with defrauding the Texas Lot­tery Commission, the couple on July 9 entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with Travis County, which – provided they don't run into any trouble for a year – means the cases against them will be completely wiped from their records. According to the TLC, the couple tried to defraud the state of $100, allegedly by trying to cash in a winning BonusWord Crossword scratch-off a second time, after they'd already collected the winnings. The couple vehemently denies the charges but agreed to the deal; Carrie was loath to agree to any plea and had said she'd prefer to take it to trial, but this deal – which seems, on balance, a way for the state and Travis County Attorney's Office to save face – means she won't have to say she was guilty of something she denies doing. For more on the story, see "The Great $100 Lottery Scam," June 8.