Arthurica Jackson, a woman from Hearne, Texas, who claimed a $5 million prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket earlier this month, has been arrested on charges of fraud and theft, authorities reported.
Jackson, 30, initially claimed the $5 million prize anonymously on November 5, from a $50 “Luxe” scratch-off ticket purchased at the QuickPump store in Hearne. The Texas Lottery website confirmed her claim. However, after a detailed investigation by Hearne police and state lottery officials, authorities suspect that Jackson may have obtained the prize through fraudulent means.
The investigation ultimately led to Jackson’s arrest last week on multiple charges, including lottery fraud exceeding $10,000 and theft of property exceeding $300,000. She was taken to the Robertson County Jail.
Though specifics of the investigation have not been fully disclosed, multiple sources reported that Jackson was employed at the QuickPump store where the ticket was sold. This raises the possibility that, as has occurred in other similar cases, store clerks may fraudulently claim winning tickets when customers request their tickets to be checked without revealing the scratch-off symbols.
Jackson’s bond was set at $150,000 for each charge, totaling $300,000. Although prosecutors initially recommended bonds totaling $3 million, this was considered too high, and the lower bond was accepted. Jackson has since posted bail and is awaiting her court hearing.
This case follows a similar situation in Tennessee, where a gas station attendant attempted to keep a $1 million lottery prize that was meant for a customer, later seen pocketing the winning ticket on surveillance footage.
