Lakeville, Mass. Lottery Clerk Tried to Claim Customer’s Forgotten $3 Million Mega Millions Ticket

Lottery Clerk Tried to Claim Customer’s Forgotten $3 Million Mega Millions Ticket

LAKEVILLE, Mass. — A Lakeville liquor store clerk tried to claim a $3 million Mega Millions prize after a customer accidentally left his winning lottery tickets behind, according to prosecutors and court records.

The incident began on Jan. 17, 2023, when Paul Little visited a liquor store at 330 Bedford Street in Lakeville. Little purchased two Mega Millions Quick Pick tickets with the Megaplier, along with two Mass Cash tickets.

After completing his purchase, Little apparently walked away without taking the lottery tickets from the terminal tray. One of those tickets would later prove to be worth $3 million.

The Mega Millions drawing was held that evening, and one of the tickets Little had purchased matched enough numbers to win the $3 million prize.

According to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, store clerk Carly Nunes, who was 23 at the time, kept the ticket instead of returning it to the customer.

Two days later, on Jan. 19, Nunes traveled to Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters in Dorchester with coworker Joseph Reddem and another man in an attempt to claim the prize.

The ticket immediately raised concerns. It had been torn and appeared to have burn marks on it. Nunes reportedly claimed that she had purchased the ticket herself and accidentally damaged it.

Lottery officials scanned the ticket and determined that it was worth $3 million.

While at Lottery headquarters, however, Nunes and Reddem reportedly became involved in an argument over how the winnings would be divided. Investigators said surveillance video captured the dispute, while Lottery employees overheard the conversation.

According to prosecutors, Reddem demanded a portion of the winnings, while Nunes reportedly offered him approximately $200,000. The dispute, combined with the condition of the ticket, helped trigger a deeper investigation.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the Lakeville store and determined that Nunes had not purchased the winning ticket. The footage showed that Little was the customer who had purchased it.

Authorities then worked to locate Little, reviewing surveillance footage, interviewing people and distributing flyers. After roughly a month of investigation, they identified him as the rightful winner.

The Massachusetts State Lottery ultimately awarded Little the full $3 million prize. He received a ceremonial check in June 2023.

Despite the circumstances, Little reportedly did not express significant bitterness toward Nunes after learning what had happened.

Nunes later pleaded guilty to presenting a false claim for the winning lottery ticket. On Feb. 9, 2024, she was sentenced to two years of probation. Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence.

The case serves as a reminder that lottery tickets can become extremely valuable very quickly—and that customers should always make sure they have received their tickets before leaving a store.

For Little, forgetting his tickets could have cost him millions of dollars. Instead, investigators were able to establish that he was the original purchaser and recover the prize for him.

The case was recently highlighted by Men’s Journal, which reported the details of the unusual attempt to claim the forgotten Mega Millions ticket.