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A Florida Man stole $7,000 worth Scratch-Off Lottery Tickets from a gas station convenience store, then returned to the same location less than two hours later and unsuccessfully attempted to cash out his winnings, according to the probable cause affidavit. Independent,
After equally unsuccessful second and third attempts, 43-year-old suspect Justin Farley used a replica handgun to rob a man nearby. 7 ElevenHe fled with $120 and a pack of Newport cigarettes, the affidavit states.
While being interrogated by police, Farley allegedly confessed, telling officers that he simply “needed the money.”
Farley now faces one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence, which is a federal charge. Hobbs ActWhich prohibits “robbery or extortion” affecting interstate commerce. Court records show he was indicted by a Tampa grand jury while already in custody on state charges in the same robbery case, and was federally charged on Tuesday.
7-eleven robbery made headlines at the time, but no further details have been revealed yet.
Farley, who remains jailed, does not yet have an attorney listed in federal filings, and could not be reached for comment.
On May 5 at 8:11 p.m., Farley stopped at a gas station in St. Petersburg and drove inside the onsite Circle K, according to AffidavitWhich was sworn in by an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He is “attached”[d] With a store employee,” before heading to an office in the back of the store.
There, Farley “opened several cabinets and took scratch-off lottery tickets,” then left the Circle K at 8:28 p.m. and drove away in a gray Hyundai Elantra, the affidavit cites witness interviews and surveillance footage.
About 40 minutes later, Farley showed up in an area 7 Eleven and tried to cash in on the winning scratch-off, but to no avail, according to the affidavit. It says he was inside for less than a minute, then got back behind the wheel of the gray Hyundai and drove away.
10:11 pm, gray Hyundai Returned to Circle K, according to the affidavit. It says Farley got out and went inside, after which he “unsuccessfully attempted to cash in the lottery tickets he had stolen earlier.”
Defeated, Farley walked out about 10 minutes later and left, the affidavit continues. About 10 minutes later, the gray Hyundai again appeared outside Circle K, and Farley got out of the car and re-entered Circle K, the affidavit says. Once inside, Farley tried again to cash his winning tickets, but again walked out without any money, the affidavit said.
The affidavit alleges that at this point, an empty-handed Farley went back to the 7-Eleven, where, at 11:48 p.m., he entered the store wearing a black mask, yellow shirt and black bike, jumped over the counter and aimed a black semi-automatic handgun at the clerk.
According to the affidavit, the clerk said Farley, who was still unidentified at this point, “asked her to open the cash register, which she complied.”
“The suspect took out approximately $120 from the cash register and took the clerk to a back room,” the affidavit states. “Then, the suspect stole a pack of Newport cigarettes from behind the counter, climbed over the counter and exited the store.”
Police used a license plate reader on the getaway route of the gray Hyundai to identify Farley as the registered owner of the vehicle, and of circle According to the affidavit, the clerk positively identified Farley as the one who stole the scratch-offs. It says that on May 6, the day after the scratcher theft and 7-Eleven robbery, police began pursuing Farley.
Over the next two weeks, detectives continued to monitor Farley, sitting outside his apartment building and watching him leave the house wearing “the same shoes, jeans and hat he wore during the Circle K lottery ticket theft,” the affidavit says.
With officials on May 22 St. Petersburg Police Department According to the affidavit, Farley was pulled over while he was driving a gray Hyundai. They arrested Farley on state charges of commercial theft and grand theft, and called the ATF. Local police and the ATF together searched Farley’s car and apartment, finding the clothes, shoes, and mask he wore during the 7-Eleven robbery, which was a replica. glock A pistol and a series of lottery scratcher ticketbooks were stolen from Circle K, the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, during a recorded interview with law enforcement, Farley admitted to stealing scratch-offs from a Circle K and holding up a 7-Eleven.
“Farley stated he needed money, entered the store and stole items from the office near the bathroom area,” the affidavit states. “…Farley also admitted to committing the armed robbery of a 7-Eleven store on 4th Street in St. Petersburg, FL.”
Farley has a significant criminal history, according to the affidavit, which lists previous felony convictions for sale of cocaine (2003), possession of a controlled substance (2007), felon in possession of a firearm (2007), felon in possession of a firearm (2010), and possession of oxycodone (2010).