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- May 4, 2021
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An Arizona Circle K manager allegedly purchased a $12.8 million lottery ticket that was left on the counter overnight, knowing its historic value — as the company claimed it should receive the prize money.
Robert Gawlitza, an employee at the convenience store in Scottsdale, was working on Nov. 24 when a customer asked to replay numbers for “The Pick” drawing that night, according to a complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, 12News reported on Friday.
The complaint, filed on Tuesday, alleged that a worker printed out $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer had only paid for $60 worth, leaving the remaining 25 tickets on the counter.
The tickets remained in the store, untouched, for the remainder of the night into the next morning.
Gawlitza allegedly learned that his store had sold the jackpot winner and scanned through the abandoned tickets before finding the correct one.
The winning numbers were 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, 26.
The fast-thinking Gawlitza clocked out from his shift, removed his Circle K shirt and purchased the tickets, including the winner from another employee for $10, the outlet reported.
Circle K management was soon notified of the purchase and ordered the ticket to be held in its corporate office until a judge ruled on who owned the $12.8 million ticket.
In its complaint filed against Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, Circle K cited the Arizona Administrative Code that states retailers hold property claims to lottery tickets that a customer refuses to pay for and go unsold.
Robert Gawlitza, an employee at the convenience store in Scottsdale, was working on Nov. 24 when a customer asked to replay numbers for “The Pick” drawing that night, according to a complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, 12News reported on Friday.
The complaint, filed on Tuesday, alleged that a worker printed out $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer had only paid for $60 worth, leaving the remaining 25 tickets on the counter.
The tickets remained in the store, untouched, for the remainder of the night into the next morning.
Gawlitza allegedly learned that his store had sold the jackpot winner and scanned through the abandoned tickets before finding the correct one.
The winning numbers were 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, 26.
The fast-thinking Gawlitza clocked out from his shift, removed his Circle K shirt and purchased the tickets, including the winner from another employee for $10, the outlet reported.
Circle K management was soon notified of the purchase and ordered the ticket to be held in its corporate office until a judge ruled on who owned the $12.8 million ticket.
In its complaint filed against Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, Circle K cited the Arizona Administrative Code that states retailers hold property claims to lottery tickets that a customer refuses to pay for and go unsold.
