Flint man accused of stealing scratch-off tickets worth $300

FLINT, Texas (KLTV) - A Flint man is facing a felony charge after allegedly stealing scratch-off tickets from a convenience store. According to an arrest affidavit, Michael Paul Jones, 24, was allegedly caught on security camera working together with another man to steal three scratch-off tickets, each worth $100, from a convenience store in the 22000 block of Highway 155 South. The store manager noticed the register came up $300 short and notified the Texas Lottery Commission. The security video showed the two men enter the store on April 15 at about 9:30 p.m., the affidavit claims, with one man allegedly distracting the clerk while the other reached over the counter to steal the tickets. The commission reported that the stolen winning ticket was cashed at another store nearby at about 9:40 p.m. for $300. Jones was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail on July 16 on a charge of fraudulently claiming a lottery prize. He posted $10,000 bond and was released the same day.