Mass. $1M Scratch Tix Winner Guilty On Shoplifting Charge

SALEM, NH — A Massachusetts woman who was arrested for shoplifting in Salem late last year after winning a $1 million scratch ticket has been found guilty of shoplifting, according to the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune. Yokatia E. Rodriguez, 40, of Tewksbury, MA, was found guilty of trying to steal lipstick from Kohl’s in Salem on Dec. 21, 2016, about a month after she received a one-time payment of $650,000 after hitting the eighth $1 million prize. Rodriguez bought the winning $2,000,000 50X Cashword scratch ticket at the Qwik Mart on Main Street in Haverhill, MA, according to the Mass. State Lottery.

About four weeks later, Rodriguez was arrested Cluff Crossing Road store location after attempting to leave the story while not paying for some items in her cart – five packages of lipstick. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Salem NH Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

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Rodriguez – both in court testimony and emails to Salem NH Patch, after her arrest was published – denied stealing the lipstick. Her attorney, in court, blamed the theft on ADHD and the busy holiday shopping season, according to the report.

The store noted that about $15,000 worth of cosmetics have been stolen from the store during the last year and became aware of a possible theft situation while watching Rodriguez and her son in the department, as well as the cash register, the report stated.

After hearing the testimony, a judge sentenced her to 30 days in the Rockingham County Jail and a fine. Half the fine and the entire sentence, however, will be waived if she doesn’t get arrested during the next 12 months.

Read the full story on EagleTribune.com.

Image via Mass. State Lottery.