Massachusetts Winning Lottery Ticket Left At Store, Clerk Tries To Claim Prize
A winning lottery ticket was purchased at a Lakeville liquor store in January, but is now under intense investigation. That is because the Massachusetts man who purchased the lottery ticket forgot it at the store, and the clerk claimed the winning prize.
Now, two coworkers are facing charges. Carly Nunes was the clerk working at the liquor store when a customer came in to buy potato chips and lottery tickets. Later, another customer found the lottery tickets and returned them to Nunes. This is where things start to get interesting.
Later that evening, the Mass Millions numbers on the purchased ticket were called. It was a $3 million ticket. Joseph Reddem, a coworker of Nunes, then drove them to Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters to redeem the winning ticket two days later, Boston.com reports.
“Surveillance video captured Nunes and Reddem arguing in the lobby, with Reddem allegedly demanding part of the jackpot and Nunes informing him she would ‘only pay him $200,000,'” the story states.
Footage was captured of this heated dispute. The winning lottery ticket was also ripped and burned. This caused the DA’s office to launch an investigation due to suspicious behavior. It would take a month to track down the original customer who purchased the winning lottery ticket.
1 Winning Ticket, 5 Charges Filed
Nunes was brought up on four charges. They are: larceny from a building, attempted larceny, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation. She did not show up for her arraignment earlier this week. There is now a warrant out for her arrest.
Reddem is also facing charges. However, his is for attempted extortion for his attempt to demand most of the winnings. Boston.com states, “he was released on personal recognizance and ordered not to gamble or have contact with witnesses and his coworker, Carly Nunes.”
No information has been shared regarding the real Massachusetts lottery winner, on whether he will receive any of the prize money.
Massachusetts: Margarita Brand Has Become One of the Northeast's Most Popular
Weymouth, Massachusetts, approximately 15 miles from Boston, is the home to one of New England’s most popular Margarita brands. In fact, each bottle is still hand-crafted there. Rustic Spirits has become a well-known Margarita drink thanks to the hard work and dedication of founder, Vytas Makstutis.
“I still remember squeezing the limes into the bucket for that first small batch that I made in my basement,” he states. Makstutis came to America from Lithuania and dedicated his life to making the perfect Margarita in 2006. They key has always been that all the ingredients are fresh. Pouring his life savings into establishing a business, Makstutis would frequently travel to Mexico to pick agave plants to distill the tequila.
“After making it all in my basement for six years, delivering to all neighborhoods on the south shore and other parts of the state, I realized I could not keep up with the demand. I decided to move my basement operation to a bigger place. It was a warehouse where I also lived and slept for five years,” Makstutis tells me in an interview.
“I used to take a shower at a fitness club across the street and go back to work to build the business. I gave up all I had to keep it all going to eventually deliver the product to the stores. There’s self-made wooden cabin off the back of my building where I still sleep every night.”
Makstutis was frequently told his concept would never work, and that he should give up. That made him work harder. He believed in his process, his product, and himself. Now, Rustic Spirits has become a household name when it comes to recognizable Margarita options in New England.
Just Pour
The Rustic Spirts slogan of “Just Pour” references the fact that no other ingredients are needed to enjoy the drink. Everything is prepared and mixed correctly in the bottle. So all you have to do is pour the the margarita over some ice in a glass and enjoy.
“Now, in many liquor stores, we outsell larger companies like Cuervo, Skinny Girl, etc,” Makstutis concludes.
Cinco de Mayo is just days away. It’s the perfect time to learn more about how this Massachusetts Margarita brand has become one of the most popular on the east coast.
Try Rustic Spirts and find a store near you at RusticSpirits.com.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
