Captured on video: A lottery player busily playing scratch-off games.
Captured in handcuffs: The same lottery player who illegally scratched off almost $500 worth of tickets without paying for them.
Robert Lee King, 41, of 14860 Indigo Lakes Circle, North Naples, was arrested and charged with grand theft in connection with his unlucky gambling spree earlier this month.
Collier County sheriff's deputies arrested King on Tuesday after a co-worker at the Shell/Site station at 5606 Tavila Circle turned him in.
King told deputies that he was bored while working a night shift at the station and started trying out the tickets.
Arrest reports give this account:
On March 13, the store manager came into work early and discovered King lying on the floor, playing lottery tickets.
He stole around 35 scratch-off lottery tickets that cost $10 each and another 31 tickets that cost $5 each.
He had stacked up the winning tickets next to the register. After the manager caught him and told him what he was doing was wrong, he took the winning tickets and left the store. He left about $50 worth of tickets on the counter. The tickets were valued at $465.
King failed to show up for work the next day.
On Tuesday, deputies went to the store and watched the video with King lying on the floor of the store with the tickets. He would reach over and pull the tickets off of the store's roll and play the tickets.
Investigators say there was no attempt by King to pay for the tickets.
Two hours later, King came by the store to pick up his last paycheck. A deputy asked him to come to the substation to be interviewed.
A short time later, King was booked into the county jail.
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