News writer
Not every scratch-off comes with a winning prize — some come with handcuffs. Just ask one former Hy-Vee employee in Iowa, who's now facing a mountain of charges after allegedly helping himself to a stash of Iowa Lottery tickets during an overnight shift.
Instead of hitting the jackpot, authorities say he racked up a felony arrest warrant, which was a very unwelcome surprise when officers showed up to take him in.
Employee allegedly steals lottery tickets
On June 30, 2025, Derek E. Fowler, 28 at the time of his arrest, allegedly stole approximately 53 Iowa Lottery tickets from Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh, located at 518 W. McLane St. in Osceola, according to court documents. Fowler was an employee at Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh at the time of the alleged theft.
The total loss to Hy-Vee was $1,390.
Investigators determined that between 7:49 p.m. CT, June 30, 2025, and 8:05 a.m. CT, July 1, 2025, Fowler redeemed 17 of the stolen Iowa Lottery tickets. This resulted in a loss to the Iowa Lottery of $802.
Fowler redeemed the stolen Iowa Lottery at the following places:
- $70 worth of tickets at the Osceola Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh.
- $640 worth of tickets at the Osceola Walmart.
- $92 worth of tickets at the Osceola Casey's, but no specific location was given.
An arrest has been made
Authorities issued a warrant for the arrest of Fowler on July 10. While officers tried to execute the warrant, Fowler physically resisted a lawful arrest.
During the incident, Fowler reportedly tried to close a door on officers. Because of that, he was subsequently charged with interference with official acts.
In addition to those charges, Fowler was also charged with 17 counts of lottery forgery or theft of tickets and two counts of third-degree theft. The forgery or theft of a lottery ticket is a Class D felony in Iowa, and the theft charge is an aggravated misdemeanor offense.
A Class D felony is punishable by up to five years in prison with fines ranging from $1,025 to $10,245. An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by up to two years in prison with fines ranging from $315 to $6,275.
He was booked into jail and was placed on a $89,000 bond.
Man hits Jurassic jackpot on his way into work
Meanwhile, a man in Dubuque bought an instant ticket the right way, and he's now celebrating a six-figure lottery win.
Bryce Koch, 40, bought the winning JURASSIC WORLD scratch-off ticket at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, located at 2435 NW Arterial in Dubuque, while he was on his way to work. He scratched the ticket in the break room at work before his shift started.
He told lottery officials, “I was pretty shocked, shaking a little bit.”
Koch recently made his way to lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He told lottery officials he still hasn't decided what he'll do with the money.
Enjoy playing the Iowa Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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