Two men arrested
Two men from Columbus, Mississippi have been arrested after they tried to claim a $100,000 lottery win after gluing the winning numbers onto a losing ticket.
Odis Latham, 47, and Russell Sparks, 48, were both arrested after submitting the ticket to officials at the Flowood headquarters of the Mississippi Lottery Corp (MLC).
Numbers glued on
Lottery official Meg Annison said the presence of paste made it obvious that the ticket had been altered by gluing the winning numbers onto a losing ticket.
The pair had glued winning numbers onto the scratch-off box in order to match the winnings for the top prize. Members of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation (MLC) then called the police to alert them to the scam.
Charged with numerous offenses
Authorities later charged the pair with conspiracy to commit a felony and uttering a counterfeit instrument over $1,000. Latham was also charged with providing false identification information.
If found guilty, the pair face a $50,000 fine and up to 20 years in prison. This is according to state laws in Mississippi, which prohibit attempting to cash a counterfeit lottery ticket.
Both men are both being held at Rankin County Jail without bond. They are scheduled to appear again in court next Tuesday.
Two men from Columbus, Mississippi have been arrested after they tried to claim a $100,000 lottery win after gluing the winning numbers onto a losing ticket.
Odis Latham, 47, and Russell Sparks, 48, were both arrested after submitting the ticket to officials at the Flowood headquarters of the Mississippi Lottery Corp (MLC).
tried to claim a $100,000 lottery win after gluing the winning numbers onto a losing ticket
What appeared to be the winning ticket had already been signed and was ready to be exchanged for payment. However, eagle-eyed lottery officials quickly realized that the ticket had been altered.Numbers glued on
Lottery official Meg Annison said the presence of paste made it obvious that the ticket had been altered by gluing the winning numbers onto a losing ticket.
The pair had glued winning numbers onto the scratch-off box in order to match the winnings for the top prize. Members of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation (MLC) then called the police to alert them to the scam.
Charged with numerous offenses
Authorities later charged the pair with conspiracy to commit a felony and uttering a counterfeit instrument over $1,000. Latham was also charged with providing false identification information.
If found guilty, the pair face a $50,000 fine and up to 20 years in prison. This is according to state laws in Mississippi, which prohibit attempting to cash a counterfeit lottery ticket.
Both men are both being held at Rankin County Jail without bond. They are scheduled to appear again in court next Tuesday.
