Florida Couple Makes Fake Lottery Ticket To Claim Rs 8.3 Crore Jackpot

Winning a lottery amount is always a case of your luck at play but a Florida couple tried to apply fraudulent measures to claim the winning amount. Unfortunately for them, their efforts backfired, leading to them getting caught and prosecuted. According to a police report cited by the Pensacola News Journal, Kira Anders and her partner Dakota Jones tore up two tickets, carefully joined the top half of one ticket and the bottom half of the other together, making it a winning ticket, with the amount being Rs 8.33 crore. The pair claimed that their curated ticket was the winner, but were soon caught because they forgot to check the serial numbers of two different scratch-offs.

According to FOX, Enders allegedly presented the ticket at a Pensacola, Florida, lottery office on March 1, where officials promptly determined it to be a “non-winner.” A Sheriff’s Office report stated that Enders also acknowledged in official documents that she could face legal consequences if she tampered with a ticket at that time.

According to the Pensacola News Journal, Special Agent Richard Pisanti received a call from Enders on March 7 inquiring about the ticket’s status. The investigator instructed her to visit the Florida Lottery office on March 11. When Enders arrived at the office with Jones, who drove her there, both individuals were promptly detained and separated for investigation.

Enders reportedly claimed that his ticket had become wet from the rain, so he was forced to put tape over it to prevent it from getting further ruined. According to police, when questioned about the mismatched backsides of the two pieces, Enders first expressed surprise, then argued that the ticket was not taped correctly.

However, they soon confessed to the crime. Enders said she was planning to split the winnings with Jones and open a salon. According to information from the Escambia County Jail, Enders and Jones were released from custody on April 19 with bonds of Rs 16,65,907 and Rs 14,57,668, respectively. They are both scheduled to appear in court on May 10.