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CNN Sunday Morning

Ticket Taken?

Aired January 25, 2004 - 07:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In Massachusetts, a teen is hoping to get something for her trouble after a store clerk is accused is making off with her winning lottery ticket. We get even more from Eileen Curran of CNN affiliate WBZ.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERICA SCHMIDT, TEENAGER: And then I scratched the first one and it was a star. And then I scratched the second one and it was another star.

EILEEN CURRAN, WBZ NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Erica Schmidt couldn't believe her eyes, she says, when she scratched 10 stars on a lucky stars ticket. The college freshman bought the ticket at the Westboro Quick Mart on Monday from clerk Antoine Richay. She wasn't certain how much it was worth.

SCHMIDT: Robbed it out of my hand and said, "Only six dollars." He's like, "You only got $6.00, only $100." So Tony, I think that's $20,000. "No, only $6.00, only $6.00. Get out. Spend your money. Leave."

CURRAN: Schmidt left with $100 and a bad feeling. Police say Schmidt returned to the store a few moments later and bought a second lucky stars ticket. This, they say, would bolster her case.

SCHMIDT: Police say they used the bar code of the second ticket to see if the store had sold the big winner.

ALAN GORDON, CHIEF, WESTBORO POLICE: They were able to determine that indeed there was a large winning scratch ticket that was in this book of tickets. The amount should have been $20,000.

CURRAN: Richay told police he threw the ticket away, but when police searched the trash, they didn't find the ticket. Richay is charged with larceny. He'll be arraigned on Monday.

Meanwhile, the lottery has suspended sales at the Quickmart. So far no one has turned in the ticket. It will be up to the lottery to decide whether Schmidt will get the money.

SCHMIDT: Any amount of money for me to win is like a big amount of money.

CURRAN: If she does get the money, she says she'll give most of it to her aunt, whom she's lived with the last three years. (END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 25, 2004 - 07:55   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In Massachusetts, a teen is hoping to get something for her trouble after a store clerk is accused is making off with her winning lottery ticket. We get even more from Eileen Curran of CNN affiliate WBZ.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERICA SCHMIDT, TEENAGER: And then I scratched the first one and it was a star. And then I scratched the second one and it was another star.

EILEEN CURRAN, WBZ NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Erica Schmidt couldn't believe her eyes, she says, when she scratched 10 stars on a lucky stars ticket. The college freshman bought the ticket at the Westboro Quick Mart on Monday from clerk Antoine Richay. She wasn't certain how much it was worth.

SCHMIDT: Robbed it out of my hand and said, "Only six dollars." He's like, "You only got $6.00, only $100." So Tony, I think that's $20,000. "No, only $6.00, only $6.00. Get out. Spend your money. Leave."

CURRAN: Schmidt left with $100 and a bad feeling. Police say Schmidt returned to the store a few moments later and bought a second lucky stars ticket. This, they say, would bolster her case.

SCHMIDT: Police say they used the bar code of the second ticket to see if the store had sold the big winner.

ALAN GORDON, CHIEF, WESTBORO POLICE: They were able to determine that indeed there was a large winning scratch ticket that was in this book of tickets. The amount should have been $20,000.

CURRAN: Richay told police he threw the ticket away, but when police searched the trash, they didn't find the ticket. Richay is charged with larceny. He'll be arraigned on Monday.

Meanwhile, the lottery has suspended sales at the Quickmart. So far no one has turned in the ticket. It will be up to the lottery to decide whether Schmidt will get the money.

SCHMIDT: Any amount of money for me to win is like a big amount of money.

CURRAN: If she does get the money, she says she'll give most of it to her aunt, whom she's lived with the last three years. (END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com