Lakeville Woman Arraigned for Allegedly Scheming to Steal $3 Million Lottery Ticket

BROCKTON (WBSM) — A Lakeville woman suspected of scheming to steal and cash in a $3 million lottery ticket in January was arraigned in Brockton Superior Court on Tuesday.

The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office announced Carly Nunes, 23, pleaded not guilty to one count each of larceny from a building, attempted larceny, presentation of a false claim and witness intimidation.

She was held on a $10,000 cash bail.

Nunes was indicted in May on and was to be arraigned on June 12, but did not appear in court, according to the D.A’s Office.

After searching for two weeks, Brockton Police and Massachusetts State Police located and arrested Nunes in Brockton on Tuesday morning.

The D.A.’s Office said the alleged scheme took place on Jan. 17, when the victim – a man – entered entered a liquor store formerly known as Savas Liquors, located at 330 Bedford Street in Lakeville, and purchased a bag of barbecue potato chips, two Massachusetts State Lottery Quick Picks for the Mega Millions lottery, and two for the Mass Cash lottery.

The man also added a multiplier to his Mega Millions ticket to increase the jackpot prize, according to the D.A.’s Office.

Nunes, the checkout counter clerk, put the order into the lottery terminal, printed two lottery tickets, returned to the cash register and rang up the man’s order, totaling $12.

“The man left the store and drove home with the bag of potato chips, but left his
lottery tickets behind in the terminal tray,” the D.A.’s Office said. “That evening, the man’s identical Mass Millions ticket numbers were announced as the winning numbers, earning a $3 million prize. After leaving the store and realizing he no longer had his tickets, the man briefly searched for them but concluded that they were lost.”

After the man left the store, another person came in 45 minutes later to purchase five tickets. Nunes printed the tickets and gave them to the patron. The patron then realized two extra tickets had been printed, and gave the extra two belonging to the victim back to Nunes.

“Nunes took the tickets and said they must have belonged to “him,” meaning the victim,” the D.A.’s office said.

On January 19, 2023, Joseph Reddem, 32, of Randolph, a co-worker at Savas, drove Nunes and her boyfriend to the Massachusetts State Lottery Headquarters in Dorchester to redeem the prize. The ticket at the time was torn and appeared to be burned.

Nunes submitted her claim for the winning prize, which a State Lottery customer service representative determined the worth to be $3 million dollars after scanning the ticket.

“Shortly thereafter, Nunes and Reddem are seen on Lottery surveillance video arguing
in the lobby,” the D.A.’s Office said. “Reddem allegedly made extortion demands of the jackpot and Nunes informed Reddem that she would “only pay him $200,000.”

State Lottery officials overheard the argument and, learning of the condition of the ticket, began to interview Nunes, according to the D.A’s Office.

“Nunes stated that she mistakenly tore the ticket when removing it from her wallet and the burn marks were the result of her accidentally placing the ticket on a pipe,” the D.A’s Office said. “Lottery officials told Nunes that they were opening an investigation, and contacted Massachusetts State Police.”

The D.A’s Office said surveillance video obtained from the Savas store showed that the male victim, not Nunes, bought the winning ticket.

Nunes then no longer claimed to have purchased the ticket herself to investigators, but instead said she inadvertently obtained the winning ticket.

The man who bought the ticket was found on February 13, 2023 and will receive his $3 million prize from the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Reddem was arraigned on one count of extortion on June 12, according to the D.A’s Office.

Reddem pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance with conditions that he did not gamble or have any contact with Nunes or witnesses in the case.

Both Nunes and Reddem are next scheduled to appear in court on July 26.