Clerk Charged with Extortion for $3 Million Lottery Scam Disappears
A Massachusetts retail worker charged with extortion over his involvement in the theft of a $3 million lottery ticket has gone into hiding after failing to show up in court on Monday.
A Plymouth County Superior Court judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Joseph Reddem, a resident of Raynham, Massachusetts. He is believed to be part of a plan to cash in a stolen lottery ticket and attempted to extort money from a co-conspirator.
Reddem, aged 33, used to work as a clerk at the store called Savas Liquors in Lakeville, Massachusetts, along with Carly Nunes, 24, who admitted guilt in February to stealing the ticket.
Unaware Winner
In January 2023, Nunes was on the register when a customer entered to buy a bag of potato chips and two Quick Picks for the Mega Millions draw. The client picked up his chips but left his lottery tickets in the cashier's tray.
Nunes then fished them out later.
The purchaser later revealed that he briefly looked for his tickets when he came home, couldn't find them, and never thought about it again. He was unaware that he won the jackpot that night.
Two days later, Nunes, her boyfriend, and Reddem visited the Massachusetts State Lottery HQ in Dorchester to redeem the ticket.
Lottery authorities became suspicious immediately as the ticket was worn and partly tore. Their suspicions deepened when they heard Reddem and Nunes arguing in the lobby.
Reddem, who had driven Nunes to Lottery HQ, seemed to be demanding half the prize for himself. Nunes claimed that she only agreed to pay him $200K.
A criminal investigation then began, and security footage from Savas Liquors indicated that Nunes wasn't the real winner.
Identifying the Real Winner
She was indicted on June 12, 2023, on numerous charges of larceny and fraud, and was later arrested on a warrant.
Nunes ultimately pleaded guilty to one of those charges – presenting a false claim. She was sentenced to two years' probation with the requirement that she continue treatment for substance abuse.
After searching the area for a month with screen-grab shots from the surveillance video, lottery officials were eventually able to identify the genuine winner, Paul Little.
He expressed his well-wishes towards Nunes and said he "would pray good things come her way."
Reddem remains at large.
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Source: www.casino.org
