A man in St. Petersburg, Florida, is accused of stealing $7,000 in scratch-off lottery tickets and wasting no time to redeem them.
Authorities said the suspect, identified as 43-year-old Justin Farley, parked his car outside a Circle K convenience store on May 5 then went inside, the New York Post reported on Thursday.
After entering, Farley allegedly opened cabinets and grabbed the tickets before he fled the scene, the Post article said, citing a probable cause affidavit:
Roughly 40 minutes later, Farley arrived at an area 7-Eleven to redeem the $7,000 worth of scratch-offs, according to the document filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
After an unsuccessful attempt, the bumbling thief returned to the same Circle K and tried to cash in on the seven ticket books he had stolen from the store. His attempt once again failed, the document said.
He left but returned to the Circle K minutes later and was again unsuccessful. However, he went back to the 7-Eleven wearing a mask and yellow shirt.
Images show the suspect wearing both a yellow and a brown shirt:
Farley allegedly pointed a replica handgun at the clerk, demanded the cash register be opened, and got $120. He is accused of taking the employee to the back of the store and grabbing a pack of cigarettes on the way.
In a press release not long after the incident, police said it was an ongoing investigation and the ATF was offering assistance. At the time, the agency said the suspect had been charged with grand theft and burglary.
Law enforcement caught Farley on May 22, and he reportedly admitted to committing the robbery.
A grand jury later indicted him and he was hit with federal charges in the case, according to the Post.
“He now faces one count of interference with commerce by threat or violence, a federal charge under the Hobbs Act, which prohibits robbery that affects interstate or foreign commerce,” the outlet said, also pointing out his criminal history includes convictions for felony drug and firearm possession.
A similar instance happened in September when a South Carolina man was arrested and charged for allegedly trying to cash in stolen scratch-off tickets, WMBF reported.
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