Volusia deputies investigating possible theft of winning lottery ticket by convenience store clerk

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia deputies are investigating a local woman’s claim that she was conned out of a winning lottery ticket by the convenience store clerk she asked to cash it.

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Deputies responded to the Circle K on Charles R. Beall Blvd. in DeBary Tuesday after the store’s manager called to report a possible theft by one of their employees.

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The manager told investigators that the employee in question was working at the cash register on May 25 when the victim came in to cash out a $5,000 scratch-off ticket that she had purchased at the store.

According to an incident report, the victim was given a yellow slip by the clerk she needed to claim the prize, but was told she would need to collect her winnings at a regional lottery office because of the amount.

The clerk kept the winning ticket and appeared to throw it in the trash behind the counter, but the manager told deputies she saw him take the ticket out of the trash multiple times throughout his shift that day.

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The next day, the victim went to a regional lottery office and learned she needed the actual winning ticket to claim her prize.

According to the report, the victim returned to the store but both the ticket and the clerk were gone.

Deputies say the manager of the store has since tried to contact the clerk, who hasn’t returned any calls or shown up for work since the incident.

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According to the report, deputies are still working to locate the employee and gather more information about him.

The case remains under investigation.

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