News writer
A smash-and-grab at a Buscemi’s Party Shoppe in St. Clair Shores took just 20 seconds, but the missing scratch-off tickets may be harder to cash than the thief expects. The store, local police, and Michigan Lottery are responding, with ticket serial numbers central to the effort. Here’s what shoppers and lottery retailers should know.
A 20-second theft left a costly mess
The break-in was brief, but the damage was plain: broken glass, scattered ticket casings, and a counter stripped of scratch-offs. WXYZ reported that surveillance video showed a dark SUV arrive at the Buscemi’s Party Shoppe near 13 Mile Road and Harper, before a person in a black hoodie and gray sweatpants smashed a glass door with a rock and headed for the counter.
The store manager told WXYZ that the shop had 64 boxes of tickets and was left with about 20. A neighboring barber shop owner discovered the mess the next morning and alerted the manager, who called police.
Stolen tickets may not mean a payday
The thief may have taken a large stack, but stolen scratch-off tickets aren’t necessarily easy to turn into winnings. WXYZ reported that Michigan Lottery officials said their security team works with retailers to identify stolen tickets by serial number, then passes that information to investigators.
A state position description for Lottery security staff outlines duties that include flagging reported stolen tickets in a computer system to prevent validation or cashing, and monitoring attempts to validate them. That document describes general procedures, not the handling or outcome of this specific case.
Michigan rules put paperwork in the picture
Michigan’s lottery rules require retailers to report stolen tickets to the Bureau of State Lottery and local or state police. Retailers must also account for the missing tickets and provide documentation, including a police report and a sworn or affirmed statement describing the theft.
A refund isn’t automatic. The rules say the Bureau may issue one after an investigation, provided the retailer took steps to reduce the Lottery’s loss, including reporting the theft promptly and properly accounting for the tickets.
For a shop facing a substantial loss, careful records are more than routine admin.
Local police are the contact for tips
WXYZ reported that St. Clair Shores police and the Michigan Lottery were investigating. The city’s police department directory lists public contact channels and investigative units, though it doesn’t identify an investigator or provide case details for this burglary.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact St. Clair Shores police. The city directory can help residents find the department’s published contact information.
The numbers behind the tickets matter
Scratch-off packs have identifying details used in retailer operations. A Michigan Lottery retailer support page describes how staff activate instant-ticket packs using a game or book number, offering a glimpse of why those identifiers matter in the ordinary handling of tickets.
But that page doesn’t explain stolen-ticket procedures or confirm what happened to the tickets from Buscemi’s. In this case, the practical point is simpler: serial numbers can help the Lottery and investigators identify reported stolen tickets while the police investigation continues.
The tickets may be gone, but a quick theft doesn’t guarantee a quick payout. Enjoy playing the Michigan Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
