A Florida couple is accused of trying to strike it rich by taping together pieces of two $50 scratch-off lottery tickets to create a phony $1 million winner.
Kira Lee Enders, 36, and Dakota Von Jones, 32, of Defuniak Springs face forgery and larceny charges in the scam involving two losing tickets for the "500X the Cash" instant lottery game, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
"Each of those tickets were ripped horizontally and then carefully pieced together to become one fraudulently altered ticket using the top half of one of the actual tickets and the bottom half of the other," the Escambia County Sheriff's Office alleged in a report, according to the News Journal.
Enders allegedly presented the ticket at the Florida Lottery office in Pensacola on March 1, then called six days later to inquire about her claim.
A special agent, Richard Pisanti, told Enders to meet him on March 11 and when she and Enders showed up, they were taken into custody, separated and questioned, the News Journal said.
Enders allegedly claimed the ticket was in her car but "must have fallen out because when she found it the next day it had gotten rained on," according to the sheriff's report.
"Enders stated that she tried to scratch the ticket before it was dry and it started falling apart so she taped it so it wouldn't get more ruined than it already was," the report said.
Meanwhile, Jones allegedly claimed the couple was walking together outside when they spotted half of a wet ticket on the ground, then found the other half about 50 yards away and took both pieces home and dried them.
"Jones stated that once scratched, the ticket said a million dollars and he was like, 'No freaking way,'" according to the report.
But after the agent said he'd told Enders the pieces didn't match, Jones allegedly blurted out, "Yeah, she knew, man" before quickly reversing himself and saying they "thought it was legit."
Jones was arrested and booked into the Escambia County Jail on April 16 and Enders was arrested and booked two days later, according to online records.
Both were released on bond on April 19.
They each face a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted, according to the News Journal.
