Job Interview Heist
Man arrested for stealing lottery tickets during a gas station job interview
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A South Carolina man was arrested in August 2026 for allegedly stealing lottery tickets during a job interview at a gas station and attempting to redeem them at three different stores. KCRG reported that Antonio Levon Ricardo Stewart, 36, of Galivants Ferry, faces three felony counts of intent to defraud involving counterfeit game tickets. The theft occurred over a year earlier, in May 2025, when Stewart allegedly pocketed a pack of South Carolina Education Lottery scratch-offs while interviewing at Murphy USA in Florence.
Stewart allegedly tried to cash the stolen tickets at multiple Florence-area locations but only succeeded in redeeming $5 before getting caught. Fox5Vegas noted that security cameras captured the entire incident, but it took 15 months for state agents to track him down and make an arrest. He was released on a $15,000 bond after booking into the Florence County Detention Center.
How Security Cameras and Lottery Databases Stopped the Scheme
The theft was caught on camera at Murphy USA's Florence location during Stewart's job interview. WBTV explained that once the store reported the missing lottery tickets, state lottery officials flagged the serial numbers in their system. When Stewart tried to redeem the tickets at three separate stores, the state's automated tracking caught the theft immediately.
South Carolina Education Lottery officials formally requested that the state law enforcement division investigate. WDAM reported that this request triggered the investigation that eventually led to Stewart's arrest in August 2026. The state's lottery database prevents stolen tickets from ever being cashed successfully.
Brazen Theft at Job Interview Backfired Spectacularly
Stewart made a critical mistake by stealing during a formal job application. WALB pointed out that employers routinely film interviews and collect personal identifying information from applicants. This left a clear trail of evidence connecting Stewart directly to the time, place, and his own name and background information.
The timing gap between the May 2025 theft and August 2026 arrest suggests investigators needed months to confirm the theft, track the redemption attempts, and locate Stewart. WFSB reported that state law enforcement eventually issued warrants leading to his arrest over a year after the incident.
Three Felony Charges for Five Dollars in Winnings
Stewart faces severe legal consequences for minimal financial gain. 13ABC reported he managed to redeem only $5 from the stolen scratch-off pack before his scheme unraveled. Despite the tiny payout, prosecutors charged him with three counts of intent to defraud involving counterfeit game tickets—a felony under South Carolina law.
The dramatic disparity between the $5 in actual winnings and the three felony charges has drawn attention online. VAlleyNewsLive noted that the case highlights how state lottery fraud laws treat theft of tickets as serious financial crimes against both the lottery system and retailers, regardless of the actual amount redeemed.
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