A Florida woman was arrested for stolen lottery tickets.
The crime involved the theft of over $6,500 in Florida Lottery tickets from a local gas station.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested the Palm Coast woman after an investigation into the stolen lottery tickets. Local deputies recently responded to a report of a delayed larceny of over $6,500 in Florida Lottery tickets at a Circle K gas station in Palm Coast.
During deputies’ initial investigation, they determined an employee printed 10 lottery tickets valued at $660 each, then resigned the next day. Due to the circumstances, Circle K management told deputies they believed the employee to be the suspect who stole the tickets, according to local law enforcement.
Detectives from the FCSO General Assignment Unit conducted further investigation, during which they reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed Circle K employees and management. During interviews, detectives determined the employee had accidentally printed the tickets and, upon the advice of another employee, placed the tickets in a manager’s book behind the counter. The employee who printed the tickets denied taking them and told detectives he quit for unrelated reasons.
Florida Lottery records confirmed the tickets were scanned and winnings were processed at the same Circle K location beginning the day after the employee’s resignation. Surveillance video showed the store’s assistant manager, 31-year-old Leandra Tarpley, of Palm Coast, scanning and processing the lottery tickets, including winning tickets, according to local law enforcement. After further review in which they cross-referenced lottery records and surveillance video, detectives determined Tarpley scanned the tickets, paid out winnings, and used the payouts to purchase additional scratch off tickets and took the remaining cash.
Detectives spoke to Tarpley, who admitted to scanning tickets she found behind the counter but denied knowing they were the tickets originally printed by the employee, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office stated. Tarpley also told detectives she did not receive any money from the winnings, only free tickets, a claim that was refuted by both lottery records and video showing her receive payouts.
Detectives arrested Leandra Tarpley at the gas station for grand theft. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was later released on a $2,500 bond.
“This woman must’ve thought she hit the lottery thinking she could get away with scanning these stolen tickets,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “But our General Assignment Unit did a thorough review and caught her in the act. Now, the only thing she won was a trip to the Green Roof Inn.”
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