Store Clerk in $3M Lottery Theft Case Pleads Not Guilty

This week, a Massachusetts store worker who had been accused of stealing a customer’s $3 million lottery ticket and subsequently went on the run entered a plea of not guilty on charges related to the incident, according to MassLive.

According to prosecutors, Carly Nunes, 23, had left Lottery HQ in Dorchester, Mass. 45 minutes prior with a ticket that Paul Little had forgotten to take with him from the cashier’s tray. After returning with the torn and burnt ticket in May, Nunes raised suspicion in the lottery officials. Two weeks after being indicted on June 12 for larceny from a building, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation, Nunes had still not been found. However, it was on June 27 that she was apprehended and brought to Brockton Superior Court where she was held on $10K cash bail. (Image: WBZ)

Tickets Left Behind

In January 2023, Paul Little entered Savas Liquors, a store located 40 miles south of Boston and purchased two Massachusetts State Lottery quick picks for the Mega Millions lottery and two for the Mass Cash lottery. The checkout counter was manned by Nunes at the time, who roughly 45 minutes later noticed the tickets left in the tray. This discovery sparked a subsequent lottery commission investigation. That same night, one of the tickets matched the numbers of the Mega Million draw, making it worth $3 million. Two days later, an employee of Savas Liquors, Joseph Reddem, aided Nunes and her boyfriend to go to Dorchester to claim the prize. However, lottery officials heard Nunes arguing with Reddem in the lobby, and noticed suspicious damage to the ticket, making the lottery commission suspicious of the win.

According to prosecutors, Reddem was allegedly requesting half of the jackpot prize and Nunes replied by offering only $200K. Unaware of all this, the rightful winner remained oblivious.

Real Winner Oblivious

Nunes was interviewed by lottery officials, claiming to have bought the winning ticket after her shift ended. When retrieving the ticket from her wallet, she accidentally tore it, giving it the burn marks from it being placed on a hot pipe. Upon reviewing the video from the store, it was revealed that Little was the actual victor. After an unsuccessful search for the tickets at home, Little was oblivious to the $3 million win until informed by lottery officials. As a result of this incident, Reddem has been charged with attempted extortion.