Man Allegedly Stole Lottery Tickets During His Job Interview. He Won $5 and is facing charges.
Job interviews can cause anxiety and nervousness, especially in an economy with rising living costs and stagnant wages. However, police say one South Carolina man used a job interview as cover to commit a crime, stealing lottery tickets and later attempting to cash them in.
Antonio Levon Ricardo Stewart of Galivants Ferry was interviewing for a job at Murphy USA — a large retailer of gasoline products and convenience store merchandise — in Florence, about 70 west of Myrtle Beach, ABC 15 News reported.
Stewart, 36, was allegedly captured on surveillance footage stealing scratch-off lottery tickets from Murphy USA #7146 on S. Irby St. during a job interview in May 2025, according to a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrest warrant.
After the reported theft, Stewart allegedly tried to pass the lottery tickets at three other stores on camera — two of which were elsewhere on Irby Street, according to News 19. Of the tickets he’s accused of redeeming at the stores, he won a grand total of $5.
RELATED: Black America Is Already in a Recession, the National Urban League Says
Over a year later, SLED charged Stewart with three counts of intent to defraud, counterfeit game tickets. The 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office is prosecuting the case.
A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was booked into the Florence County Detention Center. Stewart allegedly also stole scratch-off tickets from several stores in Florence County, as reported by WMBF News.
In South Carolina, attempting to defraud the state lottery by redeeming stolen or altered scratch-offs is classified as a felony under state law, carrying penalties of up to $50,000 in fines or five years in prison, per count, and ineligibility to win any prizes or hold employment with the state lottery.
Officials have made clear that attempting to game the system comes with severe legal consequences — a reality several South Carolina residents have recently learned the hard way. Among them is John Franklin Koon Jr., a 47-year-old Piedmont resident, who was just charged with intent to defraud, counterfeit game tickets after he was identified by store staff and recorded by surveillance cameras stealing lottery tickets, The State reported.
Koon allegedly stole the tickets from the Stop-A-Minit Store in Greenville County, where he worked, according to an arrest warrant. On July 1, Koon tried to redeem the scratch-off tickets at the same gas station.
Stacy Ann McFarland allegedly stole and redeemed nearly 100 lottery tickets from the Refuel gas station near Hartsville where she worked in April, ABC 15 News reported. The stolen tickets were redeemed for cash prizes worth $1,160.
