Suspect accused of stealing lottery tickets after tricking clerk

In a sneaky move, a Michigan man is accused of distracting a store clerk in Chelsea and then walking away with $300 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets, according to police.

Theft went unnoticed

The theft took place late Sunday night, November 10, 2024, according to police reports obtained by MLive.

The Chelsea Police Department said the theft took place in the 900 block of S. Main Street in Chelsea. Officers said the robbery went unnoticed by store employees, and it wasn't seen until management reviewed surveillance video from the night before during the early morning hours of November 11.

Distracting the worker

In the video, the suspect can be seen approaching the counter with various items. He then asked the gas station clerk for 36 scratch-off lottery tickets in varying amounts, as well as two cartons of cigarettes, authorities said.

The cashier had to go into the backroom to get the cartons of cigarettes, which is when the man can be seen taking six $50 scratch-off lottery tickets and putting them into his pocket, police said.

Transaction voided

When the clerk got back with the cigarettes, the suspect tried to purchase all of the items, but his card declined.

After three attempts, the man told the cashier that he had to contact his bank and would be back in a few minutes to complete the transaction, according to authorities.

However, store officials say the man never did return, and the transaction was voided.

Investigation open

After reviewing the surveillance footage from the store, management determined a theft had occurred.

Police were notified, and an investigation was started. The incident remains under investigation and police said there have been no arrests made in the case.

Michigan Lottery holiday instants

Maybe the suspect was trying to get their hands on some of Michigan Lottery's holiday scratch-off tickets? Can't blame them, as lottery officials said players won more than $41.2 million playing the holiday games last year.

The 2025 holiday instant tickets were available for purchase starting October 29, 2024. Lottery officials said players have four different holiday-themed instant games to choose from this year. The four choices are:

• Gift Tag Greetings - The first ticket is the $1 ticket, which gives players the chance to win prizes ranging from $1 up to $500. The game offers $5.5 million in total cash prizes available. For the season of giving, these tickets can be used as a gift tag and are available in five different designs.
• Season's Greetings - This would be the $2 ticket, which gives players the chance to win prizes ranging from $2 up to $10,000. The game offers $10 million in total cash prizes available.
• Make It Rein - The $5 ticket option gives players the chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $300,000. There is a total of $18.5 million in cash prizes for Make It Rein.
• The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - The name may be long, but this ticket is the most expensive when it comes to holiday-themed tickets from the Michigan Lottery. Each ticket costs $10 and gives players the chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. There is a total of $29.5 million in cash prizes available.

Enjoy playing the Michigan Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.