Georgia Man Arrested for Lottery Fraud in South Carolina

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. — Authorities have charged a Georgia man in connection with a lottery fraud case in Aiken County. Harold Dean Pace III, 39, was arrested on Saturday following an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

Pace faces two counts of intent to defraud and counterfeit game tickets. He is currently being held at the Aiken County Detention Center, and the case will be prosecuted by the 2nd Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

The investigation began when Pace attempted to cash a stolen scratch-off lottery ticket at a Sprint Food Store in North Augusta in March 2023. The ticket had reportedly been stolen from 88 Mart in Clarks Hill, where Pace was providing pest control services at the time.

According to SLED, authorities based the arrest on police investigations and video evidence linking Pace to the crime.

“This case is a reminder that fraud will not be tolerated,” a SLED spokesperson stated.