Two lottery theft cases, two arrests, and thousands in tickets

Two separate lottery ticket theft cases in South Carolina have resulted in arrests, with state investigators accusing two people of stealing scratch-off tickets and then trying to turn them into cash.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced charges in both cases. While the investigations are unrelated, both involve scratch-off tickets from the South Carolina Education Lottery and allegations that stolen tickets were later redeemed.

One case involves an 18-year-old convenience store employee accused of stealing more than $2,000 worth of lottery tickets from her workplace. The other centers on a 42-year-old man accused of taking tickets from one store and cashing them at another.

Circle K employee accused of stealing more than $2,000 in tickets

In Spartanburg, 18-year-old Jayda Delise Norton is accused of stealing lottery tickets while working at a Circle K gas station.

According to investigators, Norton allegedly took the tickets from the Circle K on East Main Street between June 9 and June 26. Authorities said the stolen tickets were valued at more than $2,000.

However, investigators allege the tickets didn't simply disappear from the store. Norton is also accused of redeeming the stolen lottery tickets for cash prizes at the same Circle K where she worked.

SLED charged Norton with breach of trust with fraudulent intent, intent to defraud, and counterfeiting game tickets. She was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center. The case will be prosecuted by the 7th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

The allegations highlight a potential challenge for lottery retailers: keeping track of large inventories of scratch-off tickets while also processing sales and prize redemptions throughout the day.

Greer man accused of stealing tickets and cashing them elsewhere

A separate investigation unfolded roughly 30 miles away in the Simpsonville area. SLED charged 42-year-old Tyquentin Fitzgerald Drummond of Greer with intent to defraud and counterfeit game tickets.

Investigators allege Drummond stole South Carolina Education Lottery scratch-off tickets from the Corner Mart on Northeast Main Street in Simpsonville. Unlike the Spartanburg case, however, the stolen tickets were allegedly taken somewhere else to be redeemed.

Authorities said Drummond later presented the stolen tickets at the QuikTrip on Grandview Drive, near Interstate 385, and cashed them. The South Carolina Education Lottery requested that SLED investigate the incident.

Drummond was booked into the Greenville County Detention Center and received a $5,000 bond. His case will be prosecuted by the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

Lottery ticket theft can lead to serious charges

While the two cases aren't connected, the allegations share a similar pattern: scratch-off tickets were allegedly stolen before being redeemed for money.

Lottery tickets are closely tracked by state lotteries, giving investigators a way to trace tickets back to the retailers where they were distributed.

For retailers, stolen tickets can create losses beyond the value of the tickets themselves, particularly when an allegedly stolen ticket is also redeemed for a prize.

The two South Carolina cases also show that alleged lottery ticket theft can result in multiple criminal charges rather than simply a theft accusation. Both cases will now move through their respective solicitor's offices, where prosecutors will determine the next steps.

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