Three lottery crimes, three states, one warning for players

Lottery stories usually focus on jackpots and lucky winners, but not every headline has a happy ending. In recent days, authorities in three states have investigated alleged crimes involving lottery tickets, from stolen scratch-offs and retail theft to a scam that reportedly cost a New York woman $15,000. The cases serve as a reminder that while lottery games are designed to be secure, players should stay alert to common scams and understand how lotteries work to protect tickets and prizes.

Lottery ticket theft in New Mexico

An employee at a convenience store in New Mexico is accused of taking a book of scratch-off tickets and taking three of them while on the job, and cashing them out for their value. According to police, Otillia Bautista, 58, was also seen taking four bottles of liquor and a pack of cigarettes, per the store’s surveillance video system.

With the book of lottery tickets being valued at $300, the total loss for the store was $468.48.

Police were contacted regarding the possible theft. Once an officer arrived at the store to talk with the store manager and view the surveillance footage, Bautista left the store.

After reviewing the footage, it was determined that Bautista did take the items. The New Mexico Lottery Commission deactivated the entire book of tickets so that the missing tickets could not be used.

Bautista was charged with one count of embezzlement for the book of lottery tickets and one additional count of embezzlement for the additional items she took. She was also charged with fraud for redeeming winning lottery tickets knowing that they had been fraudulently obtained and tampering with evidence for allegedly throwing the redeemed lottery tickets in the trash.

Climbing through the ceiling

Meanwhile, a Florida man decided to break into a mini-mart. However, instead of just going through the front door, he decided to climb through the roof.

Around 9:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 7, 2026, Bryan Jones was seen on camera entering through the ceiling of Bud's Mini Mart located on Carlton Drive in Bradenton, according to police. Once inside the store, Jones, 46, can be seen making off with cigarettes, stacks of scratch-off tickets, alcohol, bologna, and cheese slices.

Police would later find Jones nearby, scratching his stolen lottery tickets. He was also carrying a backpack full of cigarettes.

Jones was arrested and charged with burglary of a structure causing damage, and criminal mischief, police said.

Suspects sought in lottery scam

Over in New York City, the NYPD is looking for the public's help in identifying four people wanted in connection with an alleged lottery scam in Williamsburg.

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, a 56-year-old woman was approached by an unidentified man in front of 700 Broadway, according to police. The man allegedly said he had a winning lottery ticket but couldn't cash it because of his immigration status. At this time, an unidentified woman and two additional men joined the conversation.

The group of suspects was able to convince the victim to withdraw approximately $15,000 in cash and jewelry in exchange for a share of the supposed lottery winnings.

The victim reportedly got into a gray Subaru Forester with the suspects and was dropped off at another location. The suspects left her there, but drove away with her property.

According to the NYPD, here are details of the suspects:

• First suspect – Man with medium complexion, about 50 years old, with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a navy blue shirt, blue pants, and black shoes.
• Second suspect – Man with a medium build. No clothing description was available.
• Third suspect – Woman with a slender build. She was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt, black pants, a black bucket hat, and light-colored shoes.
• Fourth suspect – Man with a light complexion and slender build. He was last seen wearing a light-colored long-sleeved shirt, green pants, brown shoes, and a dark-colored baseball hat.

If you have any information regarding this incident or about the suspects, call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.