Police arrested a man suspected of stealing lottery tickets from a New Jersey store and trying to claim a $10,000 prize.
David Rukhadze, 23, was charged with shoplifting after police say he stole five instant lottery tickets on two separate occasions on May 30 from a store on Bound Brook Road in Middlesex.
Rukhadze allegedly claimed a $20 prize and used it to purchase additional lottery tickets, one of which included the $10,000 prize. When a store employee saw Rukhadze try to claim the prize on Friday, he recognized him as the man that had stolen the tickets and he was arrested, police said.
The stolen winning lottery ticket was returned to New Jersey’s Division of Lottery.
It was not immediately clear if Rukhadze had an attorney.
