CARVER, Mass. – A Lakeville liquor store clerk, Carly Nunes, has been charged with larceny after attempting to collect a $3m Mega Millions quick pick ticket left behind by a customer. Nunes claimed to have purchased the ticket herself as it had burnt when she accidentally left it on a hot pipe, before she later admitted to having picked it up off the counter. Lottery officials became suspicious when the ticket presented to them was torn and burned, and when surveillance video confirmed the winning ticket to have been purchased by the victim.
Nunes has also been charged with attempted larceny, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation, while her coworker, Joseph Reddem, has been charged with attempted extortion. Clerk Lea Nunes and her friend, Jaime Reddem, were arrested on charges of conspiracy, larceny over $1,200, and attempt to commit a crime, relating to a $3m lottery scam. Nunes was caught by the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission when they conducted an investigation into two South-Coast gas stations where $22,822 in winning scratch-off tickets were cashed between April 2019 and September 2022.
It was determined that Nunes had printed a ticket belonging to Reddem in a customer database and scanned them in her store before passing the ticket to Reddem. The D.A.’s office reported that Nunes went to lottery headquarters with Reddem where she claimed ownership of the winning ticket, valued at $3m, which law enforcement officials had already determined was lost by another person in their lottery terminal but was claimed by Nunes.
A liquor store clerk and her accomplice have been indicted for scheming to cash in a stolen lottery ticket for a $3m jackpot. The couple, from Massachusetts, allegedly took the ticket to lottery headquarters two days after it was stolen, where it was accepted as a winning ticket. In fact, the ticket had been bought by another man, who was unaware he had won until he saw news reports about the theft.
A customer service worker who noticed that the ticket was torn but continued processing it has been fired. The couple were caught after getting into an argument while claiming the winning ticket at the lottery headquarters, having earlier been seen on CCTV at a store where the legitimate winner had bought his tickets.
The charges against the four individuals send a clear message to those who may attempt to defraud the state lottery. The lottery is intended to provide funding for important programs and services across the state. Attempting to cheat the system takes away resources from programs that may be in greater need.
The case highlights the importance of lottery officials and the judicial system in protecting the integrity of the lottery and ensuring that the rightful winners receive their prizes. Lottery officials regularly investigate claims of fraud and work closely with law enforcement to prosecute those who engage in such activities.
As for the victim in this case, the true owner of the $3m jackpot, justice has been served and he will rightfully receive the prize he won. It also serves as a reminder to all lottery players to hold onto their tickets and to exercise caution when making claims. It only takes one mistake to lose out on a life-changing prize.
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