All news

South Carolina store employee charged with fraud for taking tickets on camera

A South Carolina Lottery retailer employee was arrested recently for allegedly tampering with lottery tickets.

Janci Food Mart, located at 127 S. Blackstock Road in Spartanburg.
Janci Food Mart, located at 127 S. Blackstock Road in Spartanburg, where Ramilabahen S. Patel allegedly tampered with the lottery tickets. Photograph credit to Google Maps.
Chris Imperiale

On January 6, 2025, Ramilabahen S. Patel, 44, was seen pulling and scratching tickets within the store counter of the Janci Food Mart located at 127 S. Blackstock Road in Spartanburg.

Surveillance video showed Patel taking some of these tickets, of course, without authorization from the state's lottery.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division provided the charges following an investigation request from the South Carolina Lottery. Patel was entered into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on February 20.

Lottery fraud caught on camera

According to a press release sent out by the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, Patel is being charged with “attempting to influence a game by coercion, by tampering with lottery tickets.”

Just after the new year began, the Janci Food Mart employee committed the violation by allegedly tampering with several lottery tickets. She was seen through the store's video footage pulling and scratching multiple tickets from a case on the front counter.

The surveillance highlights Patel also removing some of these scratched tickets, along with changing out some others. The taking of some of these tickets was done strictly without authorization from the state or the retail store.

The case will now be prosecuted by the state's 7th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

Additional lottery deception in South Carolina

Another South Carolina resident was booked on similar charges within the state. Gracie Jeanette Moseley, 20, was taken in on charges of “intent to defraud the South Carolina Education Lottery.”

Like Patel, Moseley worked at a lottery retailer located in the state. Based on the arrest warrant provided by the enforcement division, she allegedly stole 315 South Carolina Lottery scratch-off tickets from a local Scotchman store. This particular one is #3166, found in Mt. Pleasant in Charleston County.

Moseley was, in fact, working at the location at the time of the theft and then proceeded to cash in the stolen tickets for cash prizes. Overall, she received $318 from these lottery tickets.

Apparently, the video security systems at these retailers work quite well, as this was another case that unfolded on surveillance cameras.

Moseley was submitted into the Charleston County Detention Center on February 26. Her case will be prosecuted by the 9th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

Number sequences pay off in South Carolina

Beyond these fraud charges, there have been some positive headlines circulating in the state.

Lottery USA recently took a deeper dive into trends happening within the industry of late. Number sequences appear to be hitting it big in several states around the country, including South Carolina.

Just last week, an evening Pick 4 drawing showcased a winning combination of 1-2-2-2 with a 5 Fireball.

The popular numbers produced almost 1,300 winners overall, with more than $1.7 million being awarded.

Comments

0
Loading comments

Related articles

The Texas Lottery Commission during a meeting.
Texas Lottery Commission votes unanimously to ban online couriers

The state's lottery commission banned courier services, but their problems are just beginning.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Scratch-off snatchers indicted in $150K Colorado Lottery ticket heist

Investigators say they struck when clerks weren't looking and cashed in before anyone noticed.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Recent articles

View All
The Texas Lottery Commission during a meeting.
Texas Lottery Commission votes unanimously to ban online couriers

The state's lottery commission banned courier services, but their problems are just beginning.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Scratch-off snatchers indicted in $150K Colorado Lottery ticket heist

Investigators say they struck when clerks weren't looking and cashed in before anyone noticed.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

The New Jersey Lottery Pick-6 logo over a yellow background.
New Jersey adds a third weekly draw to Pick-6

The New Jersey Pick-6 game tacks on a third draw on Saturdays, which means more rapidly increasing jackpots.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

A view of a state legislative chamber in the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge.
Lawmakers look to bring Louisiana's lottery games into the digital age

Online sales could rake in millions for Louisiana, but could instant games stir unwanted gambling battles?

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold