Florida Man Indicted for Lottery Ticket Theft and Robbery

A man from Florida has found himself in legal hot water after allegedly stealing $7,000 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets from a convenience store, only to return hours later attempting to cash them in, according to authorities.

Justin Farley, 43, reportedly parked at a Circle K in St. Petersburg on May 5 and “opened multiple cabinets” to take the tickets before speeding off in a gray Hyundai Elantra, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit.

About 40 minutes later, Farley showed up at a nearby 7-Eleven to redeem the tickets but was unsuccessful, according to court documents. Frustrated, he went back to the Circle K to try cashing in on the stolen tickets, but again, his efforts were in vain.

After that disappointment, he returned to the Circle K for a third time, only to find it still empty. Then, prosecutors allege, he decided to take more drastic measures. Dressed in a black mask and yellow shirt, he went back to the 7-Eleven, brandished a replica Glock at the clerk, and demanded money.

In this brazen act, he managed to grab $120 from the register and even forced the clerk to the back of the store to steal a box of Newport cigarettes.

Surveillance footage and his license plate helped police catch him on May 22, leading to charges of commercial robbery and grand theft. Following his arrest, he reportedly told officers he “needed the money,” admitting to the robberies during a recorded police interview. It’s unclear if he mentioned the multiple visits to each store.

Farley has since been indicted by a grand jury in Tampa while already in custody on other state charges. As of Tuesday, he faces a federal charge of obstruction of commerce by threat or violence under the Hobbs Act, which deals with robbery impacting interstate commerce.

Adding to his troubles, Farley has a checkered past, with previous felony convictions related to drugs and firearm possession.