He Had a Winning Scratch-Off. There Was One Problem

Police in Clearwater, Fla., say Herbert McClellan stole the lottery ticket before trying to cash it in
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 21, 2020 7:58 AM CDT
He Had a Winning Scratch-Off. There Was One Problem
Herbert McClellan.   (Clearwater Police Department)

"So much for being lucky at the lottery." That's how the Clearwater Police Department in Florida is describing the unfortunate plight of 27-year-old Herbert McClellan, who's accused of swiping more than a dozen scratch-off lottery tickets from a local Speedway, then trying to cash in a winning ticket at the same store. Police say that McClellan strolled into the convenience store around 2am on Tuesday, and while the worker behind the counter was caught up doing something else, McClellan reached over and took 13 different scratch-offs worth just over $100, per FOX 13.

McClellan slipped out of the store, police say, but he apparently couldn't wait to see if any of his tickets were winners. One was, in the amount of $30, and so a few hours later he showed back up at the same Speedway to cash it in, per police. In a Facebook post, the Clearwater PD notes, "That's when store workers called us, and we arrested him." According to jail records, McClellan was charged with petit theft, dealing with stolen property, and driving with a suspended license for the second time, KOKI reports. "It's safe to say it was not his lucky day," the police department says in its Facebook post. (More weird crimes stories.)

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