LARGO, Fla. — A Pinellas County business has lost more than $31,000 after an employee allegedly misused a company card to purchase Florida Lottery tickets.
Right now, Warren Johnson is facing one count of felony scheming to defraud.
On Friday, members of the Largo-based family-owned paving business, All Phase Paving & Sealing, told 10 Tampa Bay the shocking bill was racked up in just one month last summer. They kept Johnson on the job, trying to work with him on a plan to pay it back, but when that didn't happen, they say they were forced to take legal action.
"We gave him chances to try to make this right, but he just, you know, kind of kept thinking it was going to go away," said All Phase Salesman Jacob Lacina, whose parents own the business.
Lacina said Johnson worked for the small business for more than a decade. They were shocked and disappointed to learn he misused company funds, spending more than $31,000 to purchase lottery tickets.
"With a company of this size, run by a family, you know, that's that's a big hit for us," said Lacina.
Lacina said credit card records show Johnson was visiting convenience stores up to 25 times a day, spending thousands on food and lottery tickets.
"It's disheartening that these convenience stores, they admitted to the police that they knew something was off. You know, he would pull up in a company vehicle, he would use a company card. They knew this, but yet they continued to sell him lottery tickets," said Lacina.
While lottery tickets are generally sold for cash, Florida statute allows retailers to sell lottery tickets using a credit card if the customer buys $20 worth of other items.
Eric Randazzo is a Program Consultant with the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.
"Gambling addiction is known as the hidden addiction," said Randazzo. "Because, unlike substance abuse or alcoholism, there are really no outward, visible symptoms. So it's not as obvious to people. And oftentimes, even the person's spouse has no idea."
Randazzo said gambling addiction also presents a slippery slope.
"Illegal acts come into the picture as the disorder progresses. It is a progressive disorder. It gets worse over time, not better," said Randazzo.
He urges that it's never too early or too late to seek help.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with compulsive gambling, there are resources available.
To reach the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, call 888-ADMIT-IT HelpLine. You can also check out their website by clicking here, which includes interactive self-assessments, the signs of problem gambling, information on available resources, and more.