News writer
The stakes were high, but not in the way you’d expect. In two separate cases, what started as simple lottery transactions ended with police sirens and jail bookings.
One suspect allegedly slipped out the door with high-value scratch-off tickets in Georgia, while another took a family squabble over a ticket way too far in Oklahoma. Now, both of them are facing charges.
Sweet-talking a store clerk in Georgia
Up first is a Jonesboro man who was arrested for allegedly stealing multiple Georgia Lottery tickets from a convenience store on Highway 34. On March 20, 2025, deputies responded to a report of a theft at the Shell Station, located at 2235 E. Highway 34 in Jonesboro, according to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
Once at the store, deputies talked with the store clerk, Cody Foster, who told them that an unidentified man had taken $150 worth of Jumbo Bucks Extravaganza scratch-off tickets.
According to arrest records, the man, later identified as 46-year-old Cesar Edubigis Rodriguez, engaged in casual conversation with the clerk while he was trying to make a purchase, which included a bottle of Coke, a vape, and other lottery tickets. The man then grabbed some of the Jumbo Bucks Extravaganza — a $50 scratch-off ticket — and told the clerk he forgot his money in his vehicle.
The man walked out of the store and never returned, police said. He was described as a heavyset Black male in his mid-40s, wearing a black hoodie with a Nike logo, black pants, Nike sandals, and a flat-billed black hat with a white “C” on the front.
Police obtained surveillance footage from the store and uploaded it to the sheriff’s office’s system. Store employees and ownership of the store told officials that Rodriguez had reportedly used similar tactics at other stores in the area.
Rodriguez later tried to redeem one of the stolen tickets, which is when cops were able to take him into custody. He was booked into the Coweta County Jail recently and charged with theft by shoplifting and attempting to pass a stolen lottery ticket.
Brotherly squabble turns into assault
Meanwhile in Oklahoma, a Tulsa man was arrested after he allegedly tried to choke his brother after he claimed was stealing his Oklahoma Lottery ticket. Around 6:45 p.m. CST on Wednesday, April 23, officers responded to a call at a home located near 31st and 129th East Avenue, according to the Tulsa Police Department.
Once at the scene, the victim told officers that his brother, David Strickland, accused him of stealing a lottery ticket. Strickland then allegedly started assaulting and choking his brother.
Officers searched the home, but they couldn’t find the suspect. They left at that time, but later came back to the house and spotted Strickland outside the home.
Police said they made announcements asking Strickland to leave the house, but he refused. Officers said they eventually found the man hiding in the attic. He told officers he supposedly had fallen asleep in the attic.
Strickland was arrested and charged with domestic assault and battery, as well as resisting arrest, authorities said. Strickland is a tribal member and falls under the McGirt ruling, which means authorities will turn the case over to the FBI and federal prosecutors for further investigation.
Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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