The store clerk who sold a Massachusetts man a winning $3 million lottery ticket is suspected of stealing the ticket, and the guy wants “the best” for the accused cashier as authorities finally give him his sizable payoff on Friday.
Prosecutors assert that in January, when Paul Little unintentionally left his winning ticket at a Lakeville liquor store, Carly Nunes, the store’s 23-year-old clerk, attempted to take the award for herself.
“I’m gonna wish her the best. I know, she’s put herself in a difficult spot. But hopefully, she’ll work her way to a better life,” Little said of Nunes, who now faces charges stemming from the incident, according to MassLive.
Little spoke to reporters at the Lottery headquarters in Dorchester as he accepted his ceremonial big check: “A lot of things had to happen for me to be standing here today,” according to WCVB.
When Little, a diesel engine technician from Lakeville, 40 miles south of Boston, bought two State Lottery Quick Picks for the Mega Millions Lottery and two for the Mass Cash lottery at Lakeville Market & Liquors on January 17, he initially believed he had misplaced the ticket.
About 45 minutes later, a different customer saw that Little had abandoned his Mega Millions ticket and returned the stub to Nunes, who had taken it and pocketed it, according to the prosecution. Little had added a multiplier to his ticket to raise the jackpot reward.
Little’s winning Mass Millions numbers were announced later that evening.
When Nunes learned she owned the winning ticket, she allegedly plotted to win the cash with the aid of her 32-year-old coworker Joseph Reddem, who drove her to the lottery’s headquarters.
When the ticket appeared to be shredded and burned, which Nunes claimed happened when she unintentionally placed it on a pipe, lottery officials became immediately suspicious.
Nunes and Reddem are allegedly seen bickering in the lottery office on surveillance footage.
Reddem allegedly made demands of the reward, and Nunes allegedly informed him she would “only pay him $200,000,” according to the prosecution.
Nunes later admitted she did not buy the ticket.
Surveillance video helped officials determine Little had purchased the ticket.
“It really gave me a greater appreciation for what the Mass Lottery does as far as making sure the rightful people get the award,” Little said, according to CBS affiliate WBZ News. “I can’t say enough for all the people who helped me get to this point.”
“That’s the amazing part of it. A lot of things had to happen for me to be standing here today,” he added.
Little says the first thing he plans to do with his $3 million winnings is pay off the mortgage of his house and make some renovations.
He also plans to continue working and using the money to give back to his community.
“I know the church I go to, they’re in need of a heating system. So we’ll be working to contribute to that,” Little said.
Nunes faces charges of larceny from a building, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
A judge ordered her held on $10,000 cash bail after she pleaded not guilty.
