On Friday morning, lawyers for Circle K and the Arizona Lottery appeared at a virtual hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court in the ongoing case about a contested lottery ticket that hit the $12.8 million jackpot in November. But two people with possible valid claims to the ticket — Robert Gawlitza, the former Circle K store manager who “bought” the winning ticket the day after the drawing, and the unknown customer who requested but did not pay for the ticket the day before — were absent.
In fact, it was revealed during the hearing, nobody is sure where they are.
Gawlitza is no longer employed by the company, said attorney Amanda Gray, who is representing Circle K in the suit. It’s not clear when or why Gawlitza’s employment ended, or if it’s related to his actions in the lottery matter. A Circle K spokesperson did not immediately return a message seeking more information. At the hearing, Gray said Circle K has unsuccessfully attempted to serve Gawlitza with the lawsuit on two occasions…