News writer
A North Carolina woman is accused of trying to defraud the lottery, and she finds herself behind bars in South Carolina, according to officials.
Stealing lottery tickets
According to arrest warrants obtained by WMBF, 30-year-old Dedriana Bryant stole two lottery tickets from a gas station in Little River, South Carolina, on June 24, 2024.
Bryant then allegedly took those stolen lottery tickets and redeemed them at two other gas stations in Little River. The warrant states the two tickets totaled a cash prize of $200.
Officials said the “affiant and others” witnessed the alleged crime take place.
The arrest
On Sunday, October 13, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division arrested Bryant and charged her with two counts of intent to defraud, counterfeit game tickets.
Bryant was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County. She is being held on a $2,000 bond for the charges, so her bond is higher than the amount she allegedly stole on the tickets.
Big jackpot win in North Carolina
While Bryant was allegedly stealing her way to $200 in lottery winnings, another North Carolina resident was legally purchasing lottery tickets and ending up with one of the biggest Fast Play jackpots in the state's history!
On the morning of Monday, October 14, 2024, Charlotte resident Steven Holder won a $1.12 million Fast Play jackpot. This jackpot happened to be the third largest prize won in Fast Play history, and Holder just couldn't even believe it when he won, joking that his “knees buckled” after seeing the win.
He told lottery officials, “I kept thinking, “Is this real?'”
Holder purchased his winning $10 Break the Bank ticket from JAD Mart, located at 4200 Statesville Road in Charlotte. The progressive jackpot stood at $1.12 million when Holder bought his $10 ticket. The winning $10 ticket allowed Holder to receive 100% of the progressive jackpot.
The jackpot winner made his way to lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday to collect his winnings and said he “still can't believe it happened.” After the required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $797,716.
Fast Play is a game that features an instantly growing jackpot that increases with every ticket sold until someone wins. As of today, the Fast Play jackpot stands at over $33,000.
Determination pays off with a $4 million win
Another North Carolina Lottery player was convinced that he would win the $4 million top prize in the Supreme 7s scratch-off game. That determination paid off, as Thomas Harris of Lexington did just that over the weekend!
“I always said, 'One day I'm going to get that $4 million,'” he told lottery officials.
While he was convinced he would win that top prize, it still took him a moment to realize he actually did!
Harris said:
I kept wondering if it could be real. I had to go back and ask the owner to scan it for me.
Harris won the top prize after purchasing the $30 Supreme 7s scratch-off ticket on Saturday, October 12, 2024, from Tommy's Mini Mart, located on West Center Street in Mebane.
He made his way to lottery headquarters recently to collect his winnings and chose to receive his prize as a lump sum payment of $2.4 million. After the required state and federal tax withholdings, Harris took home $1.72 million.
With his winnings, Harris said he plans on paying bills, investing some of it, and fixing up his cars.
Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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