Police seek identify of man who robbed Corbin Circle K store

The man, shown above on store surveillance video, stole lottery tickets and money from the store. Authorities say someone tried to cash some of the stolen tickets in Williamsburg on Tuesday.

Though they can’t follow the $1,440 in cash that was taken during the robbery at the Circle K on Falls Highway Monday night, Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputies were able to follow the four lottery tickets he took when the robber tried to cash the winning ticket(s) at the Pilot truck stop in Williamsburg Tuesday in the efforts to track him down.

According to Sheriff Colan Harrell, the robber, whom the clerk described as about 6 feet tall, wearing a white blue hoodie, kaki shorts and sunglasses and having a band aid on his right cheek, came into the Pilot about 12:10 p.m. and tried to cash the tickets.

Because the tickets had been reported stolen to the Kentucky Lottery Commission, they were not exchangeable, Harrell stated.

Pilot employees told deputies the suspect left in a Ford Taurus, getting onto Interstate 75 just as deputies approached the store. Employees said it was a white or silver Taurus with a Kentucky license plate, 631-XKT. Dispatchers confirmed the plate belongs to a white Ford Taurus.

Deputies gave chase down the interstate, but were unable to find the car. Law enforcement in Campbell and Anderson counties in Tennessee were notified to be looking for the car.

Deputy Corporal Ken Sheppard was called to the Circle K about 10:30 p.m. Monday in response to the robbery.
According to Sheppard, the suspect came into the store at 10:27 p.m., ordered the clerk away from the counter and then walked around it.

Once behind the counter, the suspect reportedly showed the clerk a gun in his pocket, which she told police was a black automatic.

The robber then reached down, opened up the safe, which Sheppard noted had been left unlocked and took the bank bag containing the money. He then grabbed four "Golden Million" $20 scratch-off lottery tickets and left the store.

"He was in and out in a minute," Sheppard said.

Sheppard said deputies have not ruled out that the robber had inside help, noting the robber came into the store when the safe was unlock and the money had been bagged.

Witnesses outside told police the robber rounded the corner toward Felt’s Music Palace where he got into a silver compact car believed to be a Taurus and headed south on U.S. 25W.

At this time, Sheppard said the robbery has not been connected with any other incidents.

Anyone with information about the car or the robber is asked to contact the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, 549-6006.