LAKELAND, Fla. – A convenience store employee faces a felony charge after authorities say she was caught stealing a lottery ticket on camera, an incident she later characterized as a simple mistake.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39-year-old Jessica Lynn Schuler of Bartow on Wednesday, Jan. 14, following a report filed by a manager at a south Lakeland convenience store.
According to investigators, the theft occurred a week earlier on Jan. 7. The store manager reported that a $50 lottery ticket had gone missing. Deputies reviewed the store’s security footage, which allegedly captured Schuler taking the ticket.
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When questioned about the incident, Schuler reportedly told deputies the situation was a “misunderstanding.”
However, a background check revealed a pattern of similar offenses. Records show Schuler has five prior convictions for theft—four in Hillsborough County and one in Pinellas County.
While the theft of a single $50 item usually warrants a misdemeanor petit theft charge, Florida law allows for harsher penalties for repeat offenders. Due to her previous convictions, Schuler was charged with Felony Petit Theft. She was booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center following her arrest.
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