The latest twist came when Soonchun Kim, the customer who originally ordered the tickets, joined the legal dispute in September. She claims an unpaid ticket from her order may belong to her.
How the Winning Ticket Was Left Behind
On November 24, 2025, Kim visited a Circle K store in Scottsdale and requested $85 worth of $1 tickets for The Pick, an Arizona Lottery game.
However, she realized she had only $60 and left without paying for the remaining 25 tickets. One of those unpaid tickets matched all six winning numbers in that evening's drawing.
Former Manager Bought the Leftover Tickets
The following morning, store manager Robert Gawlitza discovered that one of the leftover tickets had hit the jackpot.
According to court documents, Gawlitza clocked out, changed out of his work uniform, and purchased the remaining tickets from cashier Marline Ybarra for just $10. He also received a sales receipt.
Before buying them, Gawlitza reportedly texted his supervisor for approval. However, he did not reveal that one of the tickets was already a jackpot winner.
Gawlitza and Ybarra reportedly agreed to split any prize money equally.
Circle K Challenges His Ownership Claim
The situation quickly escalated after Circle K took possession of the winning ticket, fired Gawlitza, and filed a lawsuit in February to determine who legally owns the prize.
The company argues that Arizona Lottery rules give retailers ownership of unsold tickets. It also claims Gawlitza could not legally purchase a winning ticket after the drawing had already taken place.
However, Gawlitza's attorney, Josh Kolsrud, argues that his client followed a longstanding, informal Circle K practice requiring employees to purchase mistakenly printed tickets that customers leave behind.
Six current and former employees have reportedly submitted statements supporting this claim.
Gawlitza has also filed several counterclaims against Circle K, including wrongful termination. Both he and Ybarra argue that the company improperly kept the winning ticket.
Judge Puts Most Claims on Hold
During a November 6 hearing, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Kreamer allowed the lawsuit to move forward but paused most of the employees' other claims.
The court will first focus on determining who legally owns the $12.8 million ticket before addressing the remaining disputes.
With Kim now joining the case, the ownership battle has become even more complicated.
The biggest unanswered question: Who actually has the legal right to collect the $12.8 million jackpot? For now, the winning ticket remains at the center of a growing courtroom fight.
Login