Circle K manager sued over $12.8M jackpot | FOX 10 Phoenix

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[00:00:00]We begin with a $9 lottery prize and that money up in the air tonight after a Circle K manager hit the jackpot.

[00:00:09]>> The catch? Circle K is claiming he knew those were the winning numbers before he bought the ticket. Fox 10's Andrew Christiansen is live at the Circle K where this all happened. So, Andrew, this is all being decided in court now.

[00:00:22]What's the deal?

[00:00:25]Yeah, it is. So, this is a case that a lawyer says really doesn't happen in Arizona. So, basically, this is what happened. A customer bought $65 worth of lottery tickets at this Circle K, but the cashier actually printed out $80 worth. So, $25 worth were set aside. So, basically, the next day Circle K says that a manager saw those $25 worth of tickets, realized that there were winning ticket numbers for the jackpot on it, and then bought those tickets.

[00:00:56]It's a $12.8 million prize that's caught up in court.

[00:01:00]Court documents say Robert Galitza, a manager at this Circle K near 56th Street and Bell Road, clocked into work the day after the drawing and knew one of the tickets had the winning numbers.

[00:01:10]So, court documents say that he clocked out, took off his uniform, and bought the ticket with the winning numbers and all for just $10. It really affects the integrity of the lottery. Josh Kohlstrunk is a criminal defense attorney that isn't involved in the case. He says technically Galitza could buy the tickets off the clock as an ordinary person, but he has to prove it was a coincidence. He has to show that he did not know that the winning ticket was at that Circle K.

[00:01:40]>> But, if he can't, Kohlstrunk says the ticket legally belongs to Circle K.

[00:01:45]Investigators for Circle K, he says, could look at video surveillance and even his phone to review his search history.

[00:01:51]>> The law also says that an employee cannot benefit from insider knowledge.

[00:01:56]>> Circle K is asking a judge to determine if the ticket was validly sold, lawfully bought, and if anyone is actually entitled to the money. I called Circle K's lawyers, and they say that they cannot comment on ongoing lawsuits. I'm still waiting to hear back from Circle K's corporate leadership and the Arizona lotteries. The lottery already bans workers from knowing information leading to them winning, but Kolsrud says this case could set a legal precedent.

[00:02:20]>> get clear black and white guidelines to store clerks and store owners about how to how to handle lottery tickets that go unclaimed.

[00:02:34]So, who really does have the upper hand in this case? So, I asked Kolsrud that.

[00:02:38]He says it's probably going to be Circle K. You do have 180 days to claim your prize. Well, that would technically be May 23rd, but technically they've actually extended the deadline for this case. Reporting live in Scottsdale, Andrew Christiansen, Fox 10 News.

[00:02:54]Andrew, thanks.