Man steals case of lottery tickets from store, Virginia cops say. Gamble didn’t pay off

A free case of lottery tickets is a dream come true for most people, but it didn’t play out as expected for one Virginia man, according to investigators.

Turns out the dozens of tickets were stolen in broad daylight and a surveillance camera revealed the suspect was well known to deputies, Stafford County Sheriff David “DP” Decatur said in a Jan. 20 Facebook post.

The theft happened around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Last Stop Mart convenience store near North Stafford, investigators say.

“A male came to the counter and requested a pack of cigarettes. As the clerk turned to retrieve the item, the suspect grabbed a case containing 143 scratch-off tickets from the counter and fled,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Unfortunately for the suspect, Deputy X.D. Bates was on duty and immediately recognized the suspect.”

It was determined the 24-year-old suspect was staying at a Quality Inn about two miles from the store. The man knocked out a window and ran when deputies arrived with a warrant, officials said.

“(His) gamble didn’t make it far before he tripped on debris and was taken into custody,” the sheriff’s office said. “Some of the stolen tickets were recovered from a trash can at the motel.”

The man was charged with grand larceny, possession of controlled substances, vandalism and obstruction, officials said.

Stafford County is about a 45-mile drive southwest from Washington, D.C.

This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 7:16 AM with the headline "Man steals case of lottery tickets from store, Virginia cops say. Gamble didn’t pay off."