A felony embezzlement charge has been filed against an employee of a Fowlerville party store.

Fowlerville Police say the owner of Buddy's Mini Mart called them after noticing that approximately $120,000 in lottery sales was missing. The tickets were then tracked to the girlfriend of store employee Christopher Bandy, after they were cashed at Kroger stores in Brighton and Howell. Fowlerville Police Chief John Tyler testified that surveillance footage from the store shows Bandy coming into the store and deleting camera footage each time a pack of lottery tickets was believed to have been stolen.

The 42-year-old Bandy, who has previous felony convictions of home invasion and car theft, was charged with one count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more. He was also on federal probation for a previous conviction of manufacturing and possessing a pipe bomb. His bond in the Fowlerville theft was set at $250,000 pending a January 28th preliminary exam in 53rd District Court.

Bandy faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He remains incarcerated at the Livingston County Jail. His girlfriend has yet to be charged in the case. (JK)