News writer
It all started as a feel-good lottery win for a gas station manager in Nebraska. However, it has unraveled into a legal battle involving surveillance video, seized bank accounts, and felony charges.
Now, the $300,000 prize the manager once celebrated is at the center of a case that a judge ruled could move forward. It's bringing attention to the case of how one ticket could cause such a mess.
The judge makes his ruling
It has been a long road, but a case against a gas station manager accused of stealing a winning Nebraska Lottery scratch-off ticket took a step forward on Wednesday.
On May 28, 2025, Lancaster County Judge Joseph Dalton ruled there was enough evidence to try 50-year-old Jeremiah Ehlers, and his case was sent to the district court. Ehlers is facing one count of felony theft by deception.
The big win — or was it?
The Nebraska Lottery celebrated a $300,000 win in April 2024 from its Diamond Dollars scratch-off game. The lucky winner was a gas station manager from Greeley named Ehlers.
According to lottery officials, Ehlers purchased the winning ticket at Greeley Rapid Stop, where he worked. Ehlers told lottery officials he had been scratching some lottery tickets with a coworker the night before, but they didn't have any success.
So, he returned to work the next morning and wanted to try his luck, so he claims he bought a $30 ticket and hit the jackpot. He scanned the winning ticket two or three times to make sure before jumping in his car and heading to Lincoln on April 12, 2024, to claim his big winnings. He left lottery headquarters with $213,000 after taxes.
But suspicions surfaced
However, suspicions started to surface just 11 days later. On April 23, 2024, the owner of Greeley Rapid Stop contacted lottery officials, claiming Ehlers had stolen scratch-off tickets while he was working.
As previously reported by Lottery USA, Ehlers could be seen on surveillance footage grabbing a Diamond Dollars ticket without paying. He then scratched it off, scanned it twice, and then he can be seen paying for it.
Nebraska law states all tickets must be paid for before they are played. However, the sequence of events by Ehlers violated that rule.
Court documents state:
Ehlers created a false impression to the store, the public, and the Nebraska Lottery.
During the investigation, authorities went through surveillance footage from March 30 to April 19. Investigators saw Ehlers make 29 legitimate sales to the public during that time. He was also seen on two separate occasions receiving tickets from a coworker before he paid for them.
The money moved fast
Ehlers didn't mess around after receiving the winnings. He quickly deposited the money into his bank account.
Authorities would later seize $128,769.31 from his bank accounts. However, they claimed Ehlers had already spent the rest of the money — around $84,000 — on two vehicles, contractor services, and paying off some debts.
After a months-long investigation, officials issued a warrant for Ehlers' arrest on January 3, 2025. Police took him into custody on January 27, and he was charged with felony theft by deception for more than $5,000 in Lancaster County.
Judge Dalton scheduled Ehlers' arraignment in Lancaster County District Court on June 25.
Enjoy playing the Nebraska Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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