Investigation into Stolen Lottery Ticket Leads to Rightful Winner of $3M Prize

A stolen lottery ticket led investigators on a journey that ended with them finding the rightful winner of a $3 million prize.

Two people have been indicted in the case, Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said.

It all started on January 17, according to the DA. That's when the victim purchased lottery tickets and a bag of chips at the former Savas Liquors location on Bedford Street in Lakeville, Massachusetts. When he left, he took the chips but forgot the tickets.

Investigators say the clerk, 23-year-old Carly Nunes, realized he left the tickets behind when another customer pointed them out. Two days later Nunes and her boyfriend, driven by her coworker Joseph Redeem, tried to claim the lottery prize at the Massachusetts State Lottery Headquarters in Dorchester. The ticket was torn and appeared to be burned as well. When a lottery agent told the couple how much the ticket was worth, they reportedly hugged and celebrated.

Massachusetts Lottery investigators became involved after lottery officials overheard Nunes and Reddem arguing. The DA said Reddem wanted a cut of the prize. That argument, paired with the condition of the ticket, prompted them to open an investigation.

Nunes allegedly told investigators that she bought the ticket toward the end of her shift. Later, she stopped claiming she bought it herself.

It was surveillance video from the store that revealed that a customer, not Nunes, had purchased two tickets for Mega Millions and two tickets for the Mass Cash lottery, including the winning ticket, the DA said. But no one knew who the man was. After nearly a month, after posting flyers and interviewing other customers, investigators found the rightful winner. The Massachusetts State Lottery Commission intends to honor his prize.

U.S. & World

TikTok 45 mins ago

The TikTok law kicks off a new showdown between Beijing and Washington. What's coming next?

Mexico 2 hours ago

Suspected Mexico City serial killer allegedly kept bones in his room, wrote narrations of what he did

Meanwhile, Nunes has been indicted on charges of larceny from a building, attempted larceny, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation. Reddem was indicted on a charge of attempted extortion. Both will be arraigned at a later date.