Richland County man accused of stealing $600 in scratch-offs and cashing one for $10

A 37-year-old Richland County man has been charged with lottery fraud, accused of stealing two packs of South Carolina Education Lottery scratch-offs worth $600 and cashing one of the tickets for $10.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged Allen Jay Rowe on Saturday, September 19, with Intent to Defraud, Counterfeit Game Tickets, the agency said in a release Monday. The lottery asked SLED to investigate. Rowe was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. He has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.

The arrest warrant, as reported by WLTX, alleges that Rowe stole the packs from Circle K #3485 on Elmwood Avenue in Columbia. On or about September 1, the warrant says, Rowe passed one of the stolen tickets at the QuikTrip at 8205 Two Notch Road and received a $10 cash payout. Investigators say he was identified by law enforcement and recorded on surveillance video at both stores. The case will be prosecuted by the 5th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

It is one of several South Carolina cases in recent months involving lottery tickets taken from stores, including store employees charged with scratch-off fraud and a woman charged over stolen scratch-off tickets.

Sources

SLED: SLED charges Richland County man with lottery fraud

WLTX: Warrant says man passed stolen lottery ticket for $10 payout