You last visited May 20, 2013, 3:00 am All times shown are
Eastern Time (GMT-5:00) | N.C. man charged with stealing $1M lottery ticket North Carolina Lottery: N.C. man charged with stealing $1M lottery ticket51 Rating:By Todd Northrop RALEIGH, N.C. — Less than two weeks after a North Carolina community college student smiled for the cameras and cashed in on a winning $1 million lotto ticket, police say it wasn't hers to claim. "It's honestly just luck," Mikala Fields said as she accepted her prize July 2. "You actually can win." But luck had nothing to do with it, according to a North Carolina Education Lottery investigation. The Lottery accused Fields of conspiring with her husband, Sean Mewherter, who works at the local Kangaroo Express and is accused of stealing the winning ticket. Oak Island police have arrested Mewherter and charged him with larceny and possession of stolen goods over $100,000. The charges were announced by the N.C. Education Lottery. Lottery officials said that after the award was announced, they were contacted by Mewherter's employer, Kangaroo Express in Oak Island, where he allegedly obtained the ticket. An investigation led to the charges and his arrest by police there. "A lot of safeguards are in place to ensure lottery prizes are honestly won," Alice Garland, executive director of the NCEL, said in a statement Wednesday. "In this case, lottery players didn't get the chance they should have had to win that prize. So when the money is recovered it will be used as prize money in a future instant game." No charges have been filed against Fields. When she accepted the prize, she opted for the after-tax lump sum, which rounded out to about $408,000. She told the lotto she planned to use the cash to buy a new home, a car and fund her nursing degree. Officials haven't said whether the couple managed to spend any of the cash before police intervened.  (Click to display full-size in gallery)
Lottery Post staff, sourced partially from AP We'd love to see your comments here! Register for a FREE membership — it takes just a few moments — and you'll be able to post comments here and on any of our forums. If you're already a member, you can Log In to post a comment. 91 comments. Last comment 10 months ago by .
United States
Member #111467
May 25, 2011
6323 Posts
Offline
| | Posted: July 12, 2012, 11:40 am - IP Logged | |
By Todd Northrop Less than two weeks after a North Carolina community college student smiled for the cameras and cashed in on a winning $1 million lotto ticket, police say it wasn't hers to claim. "It's honestly just luck," Mikala Fields said as she accepted her prize July 2. "You actually can win." But luck had nothing to do with it, according to a North Carolina Education Lottery investigation. The Lottery accused Fields of conspiring with her husband, Sean Mewherter, who works at the local Kangaroo Express and is accused of stealing the winning ticket. Oak Island police have arrested Mewherter and charged him with larceny and possession of stolen goods over $100,000. The charges were announced by the N.C. Education Lottery. Lottery officials said that after the award was announced, they were contacted by Mewherter's employer, Kangaroo Express in Oak Island, where he allegedly obtained the ticket. An investigation led to the charges and his arrest by police there. "A lot of safeguards are in place to ensure lottery prizes are honestly won," Alice Garland, executive director of the NCEL, said in a statement Wednesday. "In this case, lottery players didn't get the chance they should have had to win that prize. So when the money is recovered it will be used as prize money in a future instant game." No charges have been filed against Fields. When she accepted the prize, she opted for the after-tax lump sum, which rounded out to about $408,000. She told the lotto she planned to use the cash to buy a new home, a car and fund her nursing degree. Officials haven't said whether the couple managed to spend any of the cash before police intervened. (Click to display full-size in gallery) Wonder how they conspired to find that winning ticket to begin with? What busy little bees they were. No more honey for them.  | | |
North Brunswick NJ United States Member #39431 May 8, 2006 8815 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 12:01 pm - IP Logged | |
Who did the winning ticket belong too ? | | |
small town USA United States Member #2525 October 8, 2003 103 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 12:04 pm - IP Logged | |
I was wandering how he knew it was a winning ticket.. | | |
United States Member #13375 March 30, 2005 2171 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 12:17 pm - IP Logged | |
Did someone try micro-scratching? In neo-conned Amerika, bank robs you.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be the name of a convenience store, not a govnoment agency. | | |
British Columbia Canada Member #116120 September 4, 2011 2429 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 12:43 pm - IP Logged | |
"You have to be in it to win it!" | | |
United States
Member #111467
May 25, 2011
6323 Posts
Offline
| | Posted: July 12, 2012, 12:48 pm - IP Logged | |
 
| | |
United States
Member #111467
May 25, 2011
6323 Posts
Offline
| | Posted: July 12, 2012, 12:58 pm - IP Logged | |
I was wandering how he knew it was a winning ticket.. Let the conspiracy theories begin. 
| | |
Pennsylvania United States Member #127451 May 1, 2012 63 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 2:07 pm - IP Logged | |
....oh, the deviousness of some people! | | |
ozone park United States Member #57520 December 15, 2007 50 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 2:15 pm - IP Logged | |
How were they caught? I am confused how they knew it was a false win???? | | |
Dutchess , NY United States Member #121976 January 21, 2012 1336 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 2:17 pm - IP Logged | |
Smart store owner. The commission isn't worth ruining your business reputation.  and make your last check bounce.
| | |
Massachusetts United States Member #37842 April 14, 2006 957 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 3:39 pm - IP Logged | |
I was wandering how he knew it was a winning ticket.. I suspect that NC-EL is not about to reveal it right now. In the courts though the lottery commission will have to present its evidence to the judge and jury. If it is a case of stealing a winning ticket from a customer then the lottery commission can rest easy. If its the infamous "micro scratching" then its a nightmare for the lottery commission because of all the publicity. Firstly, many dishonest and or underpaid store clerks nationwide will be tempted to do it seeing that these two almost got away with it. Its going to be interesting to see how it unfolds. | | |
kings mountain United States Member #118682 November 5, 2011 183 Posts Offline | | Posted: July 12, 2012, 5:38 pm - IP Logged | |
Let the conspiracy theories begin.
that person probably knew somebody at the ncel and they knew where the ticket was going and the ticket number. does that seem farfetched in today's society? | | |
United States
Member #111467
May 25, 2011
6323 Posts
Offline
| | Posted: July 12, 2012, 5:39 pm - IP Logged | |
Did someone try micro-scratching? If that was the case (If the N.C. lotto decides to reveal this publicly), hope that doesn't start a widespread trend among crooked clerks to go having a field day at our expense.  If this is becoming an epidemic, might be time for the scratchers to be re-designed to make then tamper proof.  | | |
United States
Member #111467
May 25, 2011
6323 Posts
Offline
| | Posted: July 12, 2012, 5:46 pm - IP Logged | |
that person probably knew somebody at the ncel and they knew where the ticket was going and the ticket number. does that seem farfetched in today's society? Not at all. An inside job actually seems very plausible pick4master. That being the case, it seems only logical that the NCEL "mole"  , was also promised a piece of the action. The plot thickens!  | | |
|