News writer
What seemed like a quick score turned into a costly mistake for a South Carolina pair accused of stealing lottery tickets from a gas station. After pocketing seven scratch-off tickets and then cashing them in for just $35, the duo now face a far heftier price — a combined $7,000 bond to get out of jail.
The small-time lottery heist, complete with distractions and pants-stuffing antics, ended with both of them being arrested and charged. Their luck definitely ran out faster than they could spend their winnings.
The lottery heist
Around 10:25 p.m. ET on December 4, 2024, Charles Dillon Haselden, 25, went to the Scotchman Gas Station, located at 300 Hilton Road in Myrtle Beach. While there, he allegedly stole seven scratch-off lottery tickets from behind the counter.
According to police reports obtained by The Sun News, Haselden was able to steal the lottery tickets with the help of an accomplice. Tessa Marie Polk, 25, distracted the gas station clerk by asking for help at one of the drink coolers, the report said.
During that time, Haselden can be seen on video surveillance taking the tickets and then stuffing them down his pants, police said.
After leaving the store, the pair then headed to the Hotspot Gas Station, located at 1379 Red Bluff Road in Myrtle Beach. At this gas station, the duo cashed in the winning stolen lottery tickets for $35.
According to authorities, the store clerk realized the tickets were missing after doing inventory.
Arrests have been made
Police determined who the suspects were and on December 16, 2024, Haselden and Polk were both arrested.
Haselden was charged with attempting to defraud the South Carolina Lottery and shoplifting. Polk was charged with shoplifting, police said.
Both were booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. Haselden was given a $6,000 bond and Polk was given a $1,000 bond, both well above the $35 they stole in tickets.
Snack run leads to $1 million win
In other news out of South Carolina, a Lowcountry man stopped at the Publix, located on Johnnie Dodds Blvd. in Mount Pleasant, to do some grocery shopping and ended up walking out with a $1 million winning Powerball ticket.
The lucky winner, who chose to remain anonymous, was on a snack run before a football game he wanted to watch on television that day. He decided to pick up a Powerball ticket for the October 5, 2024, drawing while in the store.
It was a wise choice, as he ended up matching the five winning white balls drawn to win the $1 million prize. The winning white ball numbers for that drawing were 2, 12, 46, 52, and 65, and the Powerball number was 3.
The man headed to lottery headquarters recently to claim his winnings. While it said winning has been “crazy and wild,” he doesn’t plan on telling anyone about the win. He plans on saving the prize money as a nest egg.
He isn’t the only winner. For selling the winning ticket, Publix Super Markets #449 in Mount Pleasant received a bonus from the state lottery for $10,000.
Enjoy playing the South Carolina Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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