Hutchinson ? Three Hutchinson residents were released on bond Friday after being held on theft charges stemming from investigation into a ticket scam last September at the Kansas State Fair.

Pattie L. Norris, 38, and Buddy Norris, 37, and Pattie Norris’ sister, Lisa A. Goff, 40, were all released on $2,500 bonds Friday afternoon.

Each was held for investigation of theft over $500 and conspiracy to commit that theft, said Assistant Reno County Dist. Atty. Terry Bruce.

The charges stem from a ticket scam at the fair last September that allegedly netted the trio about $4,000.

All three former workers will appear Monday before Reno County District Court Judge Steve Becker.

The three, who were gate attendants at the fair, are accused of “palming” fair tickets, Bruce said.

A gate attendant would take tickets sold by the employees and give it back to the sellers, instead of dropping it into a ticket bucket, Assistant Fair Manager Denny Stoecklein said in January.

When the ticket was sold again, Stoecklein said, the money was pocketed.

The scam was discovered after fair officials started to pick up ticket buckets several times a day instead of once. The change enabled fair officials to monitor patron arrival.

Four fair workers were fired Sept. 11 after the scam was discovered. Bruce didn’t elaborate on why only three people were arrested Friday.

Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Randy Moon, who headed the investigation, said in September that the ticket palming may have gone on for several years.

The KHP investigation required an audit that delayed presentation of the case to the district attorney’s office until mid-January, Bruce said.

The KHP probe, he said, didn’t determine if the scam was unique to the 2001 fair.