State Worker Scratches Lottery Car Attorney General Wants To Know How Lottery Employee Got A Hold Of $60,000 Demo Car

Idaho Attorney General Al Lance’s office is investigating how a part-time State Lottery employee took a $60,000 sports car leased by the lottery for a spin, only to wreck it on a Boise street.

The incident highlights the state lottery’s practice of leasing demonstration models of vehicles it offers as prizes and then storing them at the home of its marketing director, Michael Schroeder of Boise.

The state may also look into the fact that the lottery conducted its own investigation into the accident. State law requires traffic accidents involving injuries or more than $750 in damage to be reported to the police.

State Lottery Director Dennis Jackson turned the case over to the attorney general’s office.

Jackson said he did not know how long lottery warehouse employee Matt Moody St. Clair, 21, of Boise, had been driving the 1994 Dodge Viper when he lost control. Excessive speed was believed to be a factor, Jackson said.

The car struck a curb, damaging panels on the driver’s side.

St. Clair is Schroeder’s nephew, but apparently he did not know the car had been taken, Jackson said.

The extent of damages to the Viper, which has a list price of $60,500, were “moderate to minor,” said Jerry Beukelman, owner of Curt and Hal Chrysler Dodge Jeep, which leased the car to the lottery.

He said the repair bill is confidential information he will share only with the lottery. The state insurance fund will pick up most of it.

St. Clair, who was terminated, could be responsible for the bill. Jackson says he wants restitution.

Since it was launched in 1989, the state lottery has offered a variety of cars and trucks as scratch ticket prizes. The lottery has used demonstration models of the prize vehicles to promote the games. As a rule, the cars have been stored at Schroeder’s home for convenience and security, Jackson said. But the lottery now will store them at its Boise warehouse.

Jackson has asked Lance’s office to investigate whether employees used other lottery-leased demonstration cars. So far, Jackson has found no other instances.