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N.C. store clerk accused of stealing woman's winning lottery ticket
North Carolina Lottery: N.C. store clerk accused of stealing woman's winning lottery ticket
Tammy Church thought her first-ever scratch-off ticket was a winner. The store clerk told her otherwise. Now, he's charged with a felony for stealing Church's winning lottery ticket. Josh Wesley Price, 32, of Lenoir, is charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense. Police are looking into other possible scams involving Price and other winning tickets. Church bought the scratch-off ticket at Wilco Hess on Wilkesboro Boulevard in Lenoir on Aug. 1, said Lenoir Police Lt. Brent Phelps. She thought she had a winner and later returned to the store to claim her $77 prize. She said she asked the clerk if her ticket was a winner. Police say Price said the ticket was not a winner. He kept the ticket, Phelps said. After talking to family and friends, Church returned to the store and asked for the ticket back. Price reportedly told her he tore up the ticket. Church then asked to look at the security video. The Lenoir Police Department was called to the scene to investigate. "I automatically think people are honest," Church said. "There needs to be a proper way to turn in a ticket regardless if you win or not. The way I did it wasn't right. That made me an easy victim." Price fled the scene when police started questioning him and tried to elude police during a low-speed pursuit, Phelps said. Phelps said Price pulled over a short distance away from the store. Officers found a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his vehicle and charged him with drug violations. Price also was charged with driving while license revoked. He was given a $5,000 secured bond, Phelps said, and has been released from custody. Price has been employed with Wilco Hess for about two months. The store diverted calls to their corporate office. Church has not received her $77 prize. She said the incident has not stopped her from buying lottery tickets.
Hickory Daily Record
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19 comments. Last comment 3 years ago by .
Coastal Georgia United States Member #2703 October 30, 2003 1868 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 12:59 pm - IP Logged |
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Check your own tickets. Period. It is a lottery in itself trying to find an honest clerk. There are plenty of them, and some are LP members, but why take the chance ? Check the tickets yourself. If you are smart enough to play you should be smart enough to know when you have a winner. In SC , the scanning of the ticket causes the machine to play a recorded message that you can hear if you are paying attention : "Congratulations, you are a winner"
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Wandering Aimlessly United States Member #25708 November 5, 2005 4379 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 1:57 pm - IP Logged |
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DD, that makes sense! In Florida there is a "Race For Cash" game. I think if you buy 5 lottery numbers you automatically get a voucher, but I've heard the sound of a race car revving up coming out of the terminal. So if they can program that into the system, they certainly can announce a winning or losing scratch card. I've watched the clerks scan tickets and the amount won is shown in the screen. I think a dishonest clerk could fool a customer by switching tickets. A customer should always ask for the ticket back. It's amazing that for $77 this guy lost a job and got arrested. I'm not saying stealing $7 million would be right, only that this guy obviously was thinking of getting high and his brains were scrambled. BTW, just as a good faith gesture I think the store should give this lady her money or 2 free tanks of gas.
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Hamilton, OH United States Member #4236 March 27, 2004 169 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 1:57 pm - IP Logged |
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We need scanners on this side of the counter.
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North Brunswick NJ United States Member #39431 May 8, 2006 5397 Posts Online |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 6:16 pm - IP Logged |
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What a price to pay for a $77 lottery ticket
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United States Member #12856 March 18, 2005 2060 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 7:22 pm - IP Logged |
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He's an idiot and she should have checked her own ticket better.  Dance like no one is watching.
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Holt MI United States Member #2283 September 4, 2003 53 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 8:24 pm - IP Logged |
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In Michigan, once a clerk scans your ticket, the terminal spits out an receipt. It will show if you are a winner, with the prize amount stated, or, it will state, This ticket is not a winner. Get your receipt or get screwed! And always, always keep the ticket!
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Wandering Aimlessly United States Member #25708 November 5, 2005 4379 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 8:52 pm - IP Logged |
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In Michigan, once a clerk scans your ticket, the terminal spits out an receipt. It will show if you are a winner, with the prize amount stated, or, it will state, This ticket is not a winner. Get your receipt or get screwed! And always, always keep the ticket! Is this true for scratch tickets as well? BTW, people here are saying this woman should have been more careful. That's not the way I read the story. She knew she won and that's why she complained. I don't think she was being careless at all or she would have just walked away. If I walked into a 7-11 and tried to cash in a winning ticket and the clerk told me I made a mistake and it was a loser, what could I do about it? I think by calling the police she did the right thing. Her only mistake was not asking for the ticket back the first time she went to the store.
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Atlanta, GA United States Member #1288 March 13, 2003 2630 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 9:03 pm - IP Logged |
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In some Atlanta Publix grocery stores the Georgia Lottery is putting in small terminals where you can check your own tickets without involving a clerk. Those terminals may be in other stores, too. I hope these ticket checking terminals are going to be placed into all stores selling Georgia Lottery tickets.
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United States Member #26829 November 18, 2005 160 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 10:21 pm - IP Logged |
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If these people would read the information about how to claim a prize,maybe they wouldn't have to go thru all this.They need to sign their names on tickets that they think are winners.Yes,this woman may have gotten cheated anyway but,she would have known the procedure that any clerk should have followed.
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Wandering Aimlessly United States Member #25708 November 5, 2005 4379 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 10:48 pm - IP Logged |
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In some Atlanta Publix grocery stores the Georgia Lottery is putting in small terminals where you can check your own tickets without involving a clerk. Those terminals may be in other stores, too. I hope these ticket checking terminals are going to be placed into all stores selling Georgia Lottery tickets. Good idea, although I always check my numbers online. I think they should also put up a sign that reads "Do Not Scratch Your Tickets Here"
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United States Member #12856 March 18, 2005 2060 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 11:18 pm - IP Logged |
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In Michigan, once a clerk scans your ticket, the terminal spits out an receipt. It will show if you are a winner, with the prize amount stated, or, it will state, This ticket is not a winner. Get your receipt or get screwed! And always, always keep the ticket! In Idaho the terminal makes a music sound when a ticket wins something. Dance like no one is watching.
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Miss Kitty georgia United States Member #14 November 9, 2001 20721 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 11, 2006, 11:50 pm - IP Logged |
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Is this true for scratch tickets as well? BTW, people here are saying this woman should have been more careful. That's not the way I read the story. She knew she won and that's why she complained. I don't think she was being careless at all or she would have just walked away. If I walked into a 7-11 and tried to cash in a winning ticket and the clerk told me I made a mistake and it was a loser, what could I do about it? I think by calling the police she did the right thing. Her only mistake was not asking for the ticket back the first time she went to the store. she left the store. what in the world is so hard about checking your own ticket?  love to nibble those micey feet.
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United States Member #24723 October 21, 2005 615 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 12, 2006, 3:31 pm - IP Logged |
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Absolutely. Very good idea!
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Coastal Georgia United States Member #2703 October 30, 2003 1868 Posts Offline |
| Posted: August 12, 2006, 3:41 pm - IP Logged |
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Signing the ticket is only worthwhile if you are going to cash a ticket at the lottery office . Anything that can be redeemed at the store can be scanned and then trashed regardless of whos name is on it. DD
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