If there was ever an example of how long the lottery odds can be, the case of a Winn-Dixie employee who ended up stealing hundreds of scratch-off tickets to win just short of $40,000 is about a good example as any.
The culprit, one Essie Latrell Davis, 45, of West Palm Beach, Florida, is said to have stolen a total of 900 tickets, with 400 tickets stolen directly from the store’s lottery display abinet, and 500 others from a safe in the manager’s office at the Gardens Park Plaza venue.
Hundreds of Lottery Tickets Go Missing from Venue
Davis was arrested earlier this week on June 23, 2026 and could face up to 30 years behind bars, charged with grand theft over $20,000 and organized fraud.
Davis’ scheme was simple – steal as many tickets as she could and then just scan them with her lottery app to see if they actually paid out something. Those that did – and won any amount – were kept by the alleged thief, while the rest were discarded.
General Manager Confirms the Theft via Video Surveillance
The Palm Beach Gardens police said that as much as $39,000 was stolen this way between July and September, with the theft flagged by the regional manager Edwardson Sabinay who reviewed surveillance-camera footage.
Sabinay confronted Davis over the theft in mid-September. When faced with the accusations, she replied: “Do what you have to do,” and took off from the store forgetitng her phone behind.
Davis now has a bond set at $20,000 and is due to appear back in court on July 23, 2026. She is barred form contacting Winn-Dixie employees.