UMATILLA — An odd pairing of Tylenol PM and whiskey is being blamed for a store worker helping himself to $6,900 worth of lottery tickets on the shelves, according to Florida investigators.
That explanation did not prevent him from being arrested, however, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The incident happened Saturday, July 12, at the Green Acres Store in Umatilla and was recorded on surveillance camera, deputies said. The theft was discovered by the store owner and reported July 14, an affidavit says.
“The defendant … became intoxicated while at work and scanned four full books of lottery tickets and two other partial books of lottery tickets, resulting in a total loss of $6,900,” the sheriff’s office said.
“On the footage, you can clearly see the defendant pulling lottery tickets from the rack, scanning the tickets, then throwing the tickets in the garbage behind the counter.”
Investigators did not report whether any of the tickets were prize winners.
When questioned by deputies, the 56-year-old man said he had taken two Tylenol PM and drank two shots of whiskey prior to the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
“The defendant advised his body had a bad reaction to the mixed pills and alcohol and he did not remember scanning the cards,” the sheriff’s office said. “The defendant advised he was transported to a hospital that night due to the bad reaction. … When asked about the video, the defendant agreed that it was him.”
The man, who lives in a house adjacent to the store, was arrested and charged with grand theft, the sheriff’s office said.
Umatilla is about a 45-mile drive northwest of Orlando.
By MARK PRICE/Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.
