Thieves burn store, steal lottery tickets

Comment #14

DrumSlinger — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:28:12 GMT

I smell smoke, and I don't think lottery tix smoke, if the lottery tix get burned up in the fire, then, the state get's involved in the fire investigation, lottery theft sounds like a good excuse to post a claim for some insurance mony, and that equate's to higher insurance premiums on everybody else. hum.

Comment #13

justxploring — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:44:53 GMT

It's hard to figure out why people without morals do what they do. I realize that drugs can alter one's thought process and behavior, but it's not a good excuse. When a couple murders their child or someone burns down a store and I hear they must be on drugs I feel it's some kind of explanation for their bad behavior rather than saying that they were s-cum anyway who happened to take drugs too. You can be a burglar, a rapist, a pedophile, a murderer or an arsonist and be straight sober to... [ More ]

Comment #12

LuckyLilly — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:01:05 GMT

They'd have to be really stupid to compound theft with arson. Last I knew, arson was a very serious crime. And for what? What are they really covering up? Maybe they're destroying the security video, but dang. When they get caught, they'll figure out that wasn't such a smart move.

Comment #11

Badger — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:50:59 GMT

Of course they'll know the ticket(s) were stolen. The idiots that did it are/were probably on some drugs. Of course, they could simply be really stupid. Wouldn't be the first time.

Comment #10

Badger — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:48:21 GMT

I doubt they'll get anything out of it execpt arrested. The LC knows the numbers on all scratch-offs that are sold to any retailer. They'll set up a red flag/alarm in the computer system and as soon as anyone tries to cash a winning ticket from one of the stolen rolls, they will get the police in there.

This is just another example of how many criminals are stupid and don't think farther than the end of their nose.

Comment #9

computerhead723 — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:36:59 GMT

don't people know that ticket sales with the Lottery are numbered and have a code and bar code which can identify tckets from that store ???

I realy hate thieves .....this was just crule and unusal punnishment to the owner of that store and his loyal customers who played the lottery there

Comment #8

time*treat — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:46:01 GMT

There are all sorts of verifications in place, but people who are inclined to steal are not inclined to think that far, and what passes as punishment these days does not encourage them to find other means of employment .

Comment #7

RJOh — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:16:12 GMT

In some states, stores won't cash scratch-offs they didn't sell. These thieves may have to wait until the store is reopened before cashing their winners.

Comment #6

Raven62 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:03:23 GMT

Maybe they sell the Big Winners to a third party at a discount so they don't get caught cashing in the Winners.

Comment #5

LuckyLilly — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:51:22 GMT

Am I the only one who'd be too paranoid to cash the winning tickets? I'd be thinking they have the series of numbers that was stolen programmed into the verification system, and it automatically dials 911 when a stolen ticket is scanned. Is there any way they could cash in a ticket for over $600 that has to be paid by the lottery office? Surely they'd know they were stolen.

Comment #4

DoubleDown — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:12:16 GMT

If they stole them from the display case, they were already activated because they were for sale.

But I totally agree, stealing them is stupid regardless.

Comment #3

jeffrey — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:46:50 GMT

In Ohio, you have to activate the tickets. Stealing them is stupid.

Comment #2

DoubleDown — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:43:06 GMT

Gives new meaning to the instant games such as

red hot 7's and blazing 8's..

Comment #1

Guru101 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:27:33 GMT

They're not taking money .

Their goal might not have been to take cash money, but the whole point of stealing lottery tickets is to get the money the tickets win. Hopefully these crooks don't get much out of it.

Thieves burn store, steal lottery tickets

Lottery Post — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:49:59 GMT

Latest in string of lottery ticket thefts

The boarded up windows at John Patel's convenience store hide the damage within.

These people, I don't know what to think about them, Patel said of the people who set his business on fire. They're mentally sick, I think. Why they did the fire, I don't understand.

Early Monday morning, two men broke into Patel's store on Dean Street in Rome, Georgia, stole at least 30 rolls of scratch off lottery tickets, then set a fire in an attempt to cov... [ More ]