retailer clerk and colleague are accused of stealing a $3m (£2.4m) lottery ticket left behind by a buyer.
Lottery officers in Massachusetts contacted police after Carly Nunes, 23, introduced a ticket and claimed the prize.
Ms Nunes and colleague Joseph Reddem, 32, have been charged with offences in reference to the declare.
The unique purchaser of the ticket has been recognized and can declare his prize as meant.
Plymouth County prosecutors mentioned the person had bought 4 tickets in addition to a bag of crisps from the Savas Liquors retailer in Lakeville on 17 January.
Ms Nunes, the clerk on the checkout counter, allegedly rang up the order however gave him solely two tickets, and the person left the shop with out his successful tickets.
That night, his Mass Millions numbers had been known as and the person looked for the tickets however concluded he will need to have misplaced them.
Two days later, Mr Reddem drove Ms Nunes and her boyfriend to the state lottery headquarters, the place she submitted her declare and redeemed the prize.
Officials overheard Mr Reddem demanding a share of the jackpot from Ms Nunes within the constructing’s foyer.
She allegedly mentioned she would “only pay him $200,000”, prosecutors mentioned.
The alarm was was raised after lottery investigators additionally questioned Ms Nunes over the poor situation of her ticket which had burn marks.
Surveillance video from Savas Liquors quickly revealed how Ms Nunes had obtained the ticket and, in a follow-up interview, she informed police she had “inadvertently obtained” the ticket, the prosecution declare.
A grand jury indicted Ms Nuneson one rely every of larceny from a constructing, tried larceny, presentation of a false declare and witness intimidation, and Mr Reddem on one rely of tried extortion. They can be arraigned at a later date.
Police spent practically a month working to search out the true proprietor of the successful ticket, canvassing the realm, posting flyers of the person seen in surveillance footage and questioning native residents.
The Massachusetts State Lottery Commission has mentioned it can honour his declare to the $3m jackpot.
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