A Florida woman lost her job at Walmart after sheriff's deputies accused her of keeping a winning lottery ticket from an elderly customer who was entitled to collect a $2,700 prize.
Background
The incident occurred at a Walmart location in DeLand, Florida. According to an affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, the store manager was contacted on June 24 by an elderly man who had purchased a lottery ticket and was attempting to claim his winnings at the retail location. The man told store management that he believed he had won $2,700 but did not have access to the winning ticket.
Investigators from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office learned that Tameka Hall, 40, was working as a cashier when she processed the customer's lottery transaction. Security footage from the Walmart would later reveal what authorities described as a deliberate scheme to divert the winning ticket away from its rightful owner.
The Charges
Hall has been charged with grand theft between $750 and $5,000 following an investigation by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. An affidavit alleges that after verifying the man's ticket was indeed a $2,700 winner, Hall provided false information about the prize payout process rather than returning the winning ticket.
According to the charging document, Hall told the elderly customer that the prize amount was too large for the store to provide and instructed him to bring his ticket and receipt to another location to claim his winnings. She handed him a receipt but allegedly kept the actual winning lottery ticket, placing it into the pocket of her Walmart employee vest as he left the store.
When questioned by investigators, Hall claimed she realized she had not returned the ticket after assisting another customer who arrived shortly afterward. She told police she ended her workday with the ticket still in her possession but denied any intent to deprive the man of his winnings. The winning lottery ticket was recovered from Hall's vehicle in the Walmart parking lot and is being held as evidence.
Hall was booked into the Volusia County Jail on June 15. She posted bond the same day and was released pending further court proceedings.
Key Takeaways
- Tameka Hall, 40, has been charged with grand theft between $750 and $5,000 by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office
- Police allege she kept an elderly customer's winning lottery ticket worth $2,700 instead of returning it
- Security cameras allegedly captured her placing the winning ticket in her employee vest pocket after instructing the customer to leave
- Hall was terminated from her position at Walmart following the incident
- The winning ticket was recovered from her vehicle in the store parking lot and is being held as evidence
What's Next
Hall's next scheduled court appearance is set for July 9. Law&Crime reached out to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office regarding whether the elderly customer has been able to retrieve his winning lottery ticket and collect his $2,700 prize. The sheriff's office did not provide an immediate response.