A couple from Florida is being charged with felonies for allegedly fabricating a $1 million lottery victory.
The swindle was easily uncovered, according to the authorities, and Kira Enders and her boyfriend Dakota Jones are the ones being charged with felonies.
The two attempted to pass a bogus $50 lottery ticket, claiming they had won a $1 million reward, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The lottery ticket that Enders submitted was actually two tickets that were put together haphazardly, according to Florida Lottery officials.
The wording on the back not matching up was one of the clear indicators, according to the officials.
“They had an individual that thought that they could crudely take two tickets and put them together and pretend as if they were a million-dollar winner,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons stated.
According to the arrest report, as soon as Enders attempted to cash the ticket, authorities realized it was a fake.
According to the investigation, Enders attested to her ownership of the ticket and provided a signed document attesting to its authenticity. She also acknowledged that lying would result in consequences for perjury.
After more research, it was discovered that neither of the two tickets contained a winning award. This was by no means a perfect crime, according to the sheriff.
“It was clear to lottery officials and obviously clear to us that she had taken two tickets with different serial numbers,” Simmons stated. “Whenever you pretend like you’ve won a million dollars, they’re going to take a look at the ticket.”
The sheriff’s office stated that Enders called the lottery office to inquire about her win less than a week after attempting to pay in.
Rather, investigators requested an in-person interview with Enders and her driver, subsequently identified as Jones.
Investigators claimed Enders insisted the ticket was authentic and was only taped after being torn apart, even after officials showed her the two distinct tickets and pointed her that the language on the back of the tickets didn’t match.
The couple gave two somewhat different accounts of how they got the ticket, according to the police report. Their statements were inconsistent, which is what resulted in their arrest this week.
“If you’re going to try to claim a million dollars, you’ve got to do a lot better than this,” Simmons stated. “You’re not a lottery winner, you’re a criminal.”
