Man stole thousands from South Carolina lottery, cops say. Here’s how he spent the money
A Richland County man was recently arrested for illegally using a credit card for his personal gain, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
On Feb. 20, 35-year-old Eastover resident Kevin Obrian Harris was charged with financial transaction card fraud (with a value of more than $500 in a six-month period) and financial transaction card theft, SLED said Monday in a news release.
Harris was responsible for $3,335.50 in fraudulent transactions that involved a South Carolina Education Lottery credit card, according to arrest warrants.
The crimes happened in 2023, arrest warrants show. From Feb. 7-13 of that year, Harris usedthe number for a Bank of America Visa credit card issued to South Carolina Education Lottery, the arrest warrants say. He used the card to purchase rooms at three different hotels in Columbia, according to the arrest warrants.
South Carolina Education Lottery discovered the fraudulent transactions and reported that it didn’t know how Harris got the card information, arrest warrants show. Lottery officials also said Harris was not authorized to use the card, according to the arrest warrants.
Harris was not employed by South Carolina Education Lottery, a spokesperson for the agency told The State Monday.
Information about how Harris got access to the credit card was not available.
Harris was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, SLED said in the release. On Feb. 21, bond was set at $10,000 on the combined charges, according to Richland County court records. Bond was posted Feb. 24, and Harris is not currently listed on the jail’s inmate roster, records show.
SLED said it was requested to investigate by the South Carolina Education Lottery.
The case will be prosecuted by the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
If convicted on either the felony fraud charge or the felony theft charge, Harris faces a maximum punishment of 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count, according to South Carolina law.
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This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 2:30 PM.
