Russell Sparks, left, and Otis Latham, right, face fraud charges after allegedly trying to claim a $100,000 lottery jackpot with a poorly-faked winning ticket (Pictures: Rankin County Jail)

A pair of suspected fraudsters tried to claim a $100,000 jackpot by presenting a ticket with the winning numbers stuck on, police say.

Odis Latham, 47, and alleged accomplice Russell Sparks, 48, were arrested Monday after turning up at the Mississippi State Lottery headquarters in Columbus with the bogus scratch-off ticket, it is claimed.

Lottery spokesman Meg Annison said one of her colleagues quickly spotted the DIY attempt to make the fake ticket look like a winner.

They realized other tickets had been butchered, with winning symbols then stuck on the ticket with glue in an attempt to pass it off as a winner.




Officials were able to confirm the ticket was a fake after using a barcode scan designed to ensure only a winning ticket can claim a prize.

Latham and Sparks now face charges of conspiracy to commit a felony involving counterfeit instruments over $1,000.

Latham also faces a charge of using a false ID, the Clarion Ledger reported.

The pair are being held at Rankin County Jail without bond and are scheduled to make their first court appearance Tuesday.

Mississippi’s State Lottery commenced in November 2019, with scratch-off tickets like the one Latham and Sparks are accused of altering.

The state will begin to sell Power Ball and Mega Millions tickets from January 30.