A Walmart cashier in Florida was arrested after she allegedly hid a receipt that an elderly customer needed to claim his lottery winnings. The incident took place at a Walmart Neighborhood Market in DeLand, Florida, on a Sunday morning, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, cited by WKMG.
The customer had reportedly gone to the store to collect his winnings from a Florida Lottery ticket. Cashier Tameka Hall, 40, allegedly told him how he could redeem the prize. However, investigators said the man left the store without the receipt that was required to complete his claim. He did not realize the document was missing until several hours later, according to officials.
Investigators said the customer returned to the store to tell management what had happened, and a store manager then reviewed security footage to try to figure out what had happened to the missing receipt. They added that the footage showed Hall folding the receipt and slipping it into the left pocket of her Walmart vest.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed cashier pocketing the receipt
She then finished her shift and left the store while still allegedly in possession of the document, officials said. Not every lottery payout dispute involves an employee, as another player thought he’d won a six-figure prize before being told there had been a mistake.
Deputies met with Hall inside the Walmart security office the following Monday morning, according to WKMG. She told investigators that another shopper had distracted her while she was helping the lottery winner.
Hall said she had placed the receipt in her pocket because she had intended to give it to a manager, but said she failed to do so. Officers then reportedly accompanied her to her vehicle, where the winning receipt was reportedly recovered.
Hall was arrested and charged with felony grand theft, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. Walmart later confirmed to WKMG that she was no longer employed by the company. The customer has not been publicly identified, and authorities reportedly did not say whether he had since been able to collect the $2,700 prize. Lottery payouts can vary wildly in scale, as one ticket buyer recently won a jackpot worth nearly $1 billion from a single purchase.
Lottery expert Oscar Acosta has warned players to take steps to protect themselves after they secure a winning ticket. “You need to protect that ticket,” Acosta, the founder of LottoExpert.net, told WKMG. “You don’t want to lose track of that ticket.”
Acosta advised winners to sign the back of their ticket right away, take a photograph of it, and keep every receipt linked to their claim. He also said that players often have to rely on store employees when they try to redeem their winnings.
“There is a level of trust,” Acosta said. He added that claiming a prize “requires a receipt and you can mail it in or if it’s a major prize, you are probably better off going in person.” The case seems to remain under the jurisdiction of the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, which is the agency that announced the arrest and the felony grand theft charge against Hall.
