Nebraska gas station manager sent to district court in $300,000 lottery fraud case

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A case against a gas station manager accused of stealing a winning lottery ticket took a step forward Wednesday.

Lancaster County Judge Joseph Dalton ruled that there was enough evidence to try 50-year-old Jeremiah Ehlers and sent his case to district court.

Ehlers, of Greeley, is charged with felony theft by deception.

SEE ALSO: Affidavit: Nebraska gas station manager stole winning scratch ticket worth $300,000

On April 12, 2024, Ehlers took a $300,000 scratch-off ticket to the Nebraska Lottery office in Lincoln. He was paid $213,000 after taxes.

But court documents say his win was illegitimate.

On April 23, the lottery was contacted by the company that owned Greeley Rapid Stop, the gas station where Ehlers worked.

The company said there was video evidence of Ehlers stealing scratch tickets at the store.

The video shows Ehlers scratching and validating the winning ticket before paying for it, according to an arrest affidavit.

That violates state law, which requires that lottery tickets be paid for up-front.

“Ehlers created a false impression to the store, the public and the Nebraska Lottery,” the affidavit says.

Authorities seized $128,769.31 from Ehlers’ bank accounts.

They said he had already spent the rest of the money, using it on two vehicles, debts and contractor services.

Dalton scheduled Ehlers’ arraignment in Lancaster County District Court for June 25.