Florida Couple Faces Charges for Fake $1M Lottery Ticket Scam

A couple from Defuniak Springs, Florida, is in trouble after allegedly trying to scam the lottery system with a fake winning ticket.

Kira Enders, 36, and Dakota Jones, 32, are accused of grand theft and attempting to pass off a forged lottery ticket. They’re facing serious charges for allegedly trying to cheat their way to a big payout.

Reports from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Enders tried to cash in what she claimed was a $50 winning scratch-off ticket from the Florida Lottery game 500X the Cash.

However, officials quickly noticed something fishy about the ticket – it appeared to be two tickets taped together in a clumsy manner.

Sheriff Chip Simmons stated that the couple attempted to make it seem like they had won a million dollars by taping together two separate tickets. However, their plan didn’t fool anyone.

Enders brought the suspicious ticket to a Florida Lottery office in Pensacola on March 1, but officials immediately identified it as a fake. She even signed forms acknowledging the legal consequences if she tampered with a ticket.

Special Agent Richard Pisanti received a call from Enders on March 7, inquiring about the ticket’s status. Pisanti asked her to come to the Florida Lottery office on March 11, where both Enders and Jones were detained for investigation.

According to an affidavit, the couple gave conflicting stories about how they obtained the ticket and claimed they taped it together after it was torn. However, their explanations didn’t hold up, and they were arrested.

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Jones was taken into custody on April 16, and Enders followed on April 18. They were released on bail, but they’re due in court on May 10 to face the charges against them.

Simmons emphasized that the case was straightforward, with both lottery officials and investigators seeing through the couple’s scheme. It’s a cautionary tale about the consequences of trying to cheat the system for a quick buck.