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A Nebraska man thought he had scored big, but it turns out his winning lottery ticket was anything but legitimate. The man is now facing serious charges after allegedly stealing a $300,000 Diamond Dollars scratch-off ticket and claiming the prize as his own.
On April 12, 2024, the suspect walked into the Nebraska Lottery office with what appeared to be a winning ticket, pocketing $213,000 after taxes. However, an investigation uncovered that he may have played a high-risk game of deception while working at a local convenience store.
The initial big win
In April 2024, the Nebraska Lottery announced that Jeremiah Ehlers won $300,000 playing Diamond Dollars, a $30 scratch-off game. Lottery officials said Ehlers purchased the winning ticket at Greeley Rapid Stop, located at 101 W. O'Neill Ave. in Greeley.
When claiming his prize, Ehlers told lottery officials that he was playing the instant tickets with a coworker the night before his big win, but they weren't having any luck. He came into work the next morning and said he had bought a ticket which was the $300,000 winner.
He said he scanned it two or three times to make sure he was reading it correctly. He then jumped into his car and headed to Lincoln to claim his prize on April 12, where he was paid $213,000 after taxes.
Then, an investigation began
On April 23, 2024, the company that owns the convenience store where Ehlers was employed contacted Nebraska Lottery regarding video evidence they claimed to have of Ehlers stealing scratch-off tickets while on the clock, according to an affidavit obtained by KOLN.
Investigators said security footage showed Ehlers taking a Diamond Dollars lottery ticket without paying, scratching it, scanning it twice at the lottery terminal, and then paying for it. This is in direct violation of Nebraska State Statute 9-829, officials said.
The deputy state sheriff said:
Ehlers created a false impression to the store, the public, and the Nebraska Lottery that Ehlers had legitimately purchased the winning ticket worth $300,000.
Authorities reviewed the security video from March 30, 2024, to April 19, 2024. During that time, they saw Ehlers correctly sell scratch-off and lottery tickets to the public 29 times. On two separate occasions, he bought scratch-off tickets before receiving them from another store employee.
Ehlers made quick use of the money
Ehlers quickly deposited his “winnings” into his bank account. Authorities were able to get a seizure warrant on his First National Bank accounts in the amount of $128,769.31, officials said.
Authorities investigated and determined Ehlers spent the remaining $84,230.69 on two vehicles, contractor services, and paying off several different creditors.
After a lengthy investigation, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Ehlers on January 3, 2025. He was officially taken into custody on Monday, January 27, 2025, and charged with a single count of theft by deception of $5,000 or more in Lancaster County Court.
Enjoy playing the Nebraska Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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