SC woman charged with lottery fraud after redeeming nearly 100 stolen tickets

A Darlington County woman was arrested for lottery fraud after stealing and redeeming tickets, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced Thursday.

Stacey Ann McFarland, 55, was charged with intent to defraud and counterfeit game tickets on Wednesday.

On April 2 and April 3, McFarland attempted to defraud the South Carolina Education Lottery when she attempted to redeem 93 stolen tickets from a gas station in Hartsville, according to an arrest warrant.

McFarland was employed that gas station when the theft of the tickets occurred.

According to the arrest warrant, the stolen tickets were worth a cash prize of $1,160.

The South Carolina Education Lottery requested the investigation, SLED said.

McFarland was taken to the Darlington County Detention Center. The 4th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.