An inspector from the Georgia Lottery Corporation has been exposed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for accepting payments from stores in return for passing their inspections.
Michael Jerome Kessler Sr. managed to persuade multiple stores with coin-operated machines regulated by the Lottery Corporation to pay him, as confirmed by the GBI.
Arrest documents, which have been obtained by Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne, reveal that Kessler has been charged with bribery. Specifically, he is accused of accepting three payments of $2,000 each. Interestingly, each document refers to a different location where these transactions took place.
According to a spokesperson from the Georgia Lottery Corporation, Kessler worked as a compliance inspector and is now facing allegations of accepting bribes in Henry County.
According to state Senator Emanuel Jones, who resides in Henry County and is a member of the Georgia Lottery Commission, integrity is the foundation of the Lottery and its mission. He emphasizes that since people are essentially placing bets and engaging in gambling activities across the state, it is crucial to prevent any criminal involvement from infiltrating these operations.
According to the spokesperson, the organization expects its employees to maintain the highest standard in order to fulfill their crucial mission of maximizing revenues for HOPE and Pre-K.
According to reports, once the GBI confirmed the credibility of the information against Kessler, he was promptly dismissed from his position.
State Senator Jones expressed his strong conviction that individuals accused of accepting bribes should not have any affiliation with the state lottery.
On Monday, GBI agents conducted a search of Kessler’s residence in Rockdale County. According to the records of Henry County Jail, he was officially booked on Wednesday evening.
