Florida Man Arrested for Trying to Claim Lottery Prize with Stolen Ticket
Florida Man Arrested for Attempting to Cash in Stolen Lottery Ticket
A man from Florida was recently taken into custody after he tried to claim a lottery prize using a ticket that was reported stolen. In Florida, lottery tickets are considered personal property equivalent to the value of the prize won, which means that attempting to redeem a stolen ticket could lead to serious legal consequences, including potentially several decades behind bars.
Investigation Reveals Ticket Was Stolen Through Electronic Records
Jawed Areeb, a 26-year-old resident of Florida, visited the state lottery office in West Palm Beach to claim a prize of approximately $115,734 from a Fantasy 5 ticket. Despite the high amount, officials quickly noticed discrepancies because lottery tickets are electronically registered when purchased.
Using electronic data, lottery officials discovered that the ticket Areeb presented had been stolen from a North Lauderdale business earlier in the year, on October 2. Initially, Areeb insisted that the ticket was his. Later, he changed his story, claiming it was given to him by an uncle. However, when investigators requested the uncle’s address, it matched the location from which the ticket had originally been stolen.
On January 3, law enforcement officers visited Areeb’s home where he ultimately confessed to possessing a stolen ticket. He was then booked into Palm Beach County Jail. Given Florida’s strict laws on lottery tickets as valuable property, Areeb faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Recent Legitimate Lottery Winners in Florida
On a brighter note, other lottery players in Florida have recently won substantial prizes with valid tickets. One individual won an impressive $5 million top prize from the $5,000,000 CA$H MONEY scratch-off game. Choosing the lump sum payout option, this winner received over $3 million.
Additionally, another player narrowly missed hitting the Powerball jackpot but still secured a seven-figure prize. The winning white ball numbers for the draw on January 12 were 5, 27, 45, 56, and 59, with a Powerball number 4. This player matched all five white balls but not the Powerball and did not have the Power Play option, earning them a prize of $1 million.
