A Coruña lottery operator convicted to three and a half years for keeping hold of a winning ticket worth 4.7 million
A lottery seller in A Coruña has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for defrauding the legitimate holder of a ticket that won 4.7 million euros in 2012.
A Coruña lottery operator convicted to three and a half years for keeping hold of a winning ticket worth 4.7 million
A lottery seller in the Galician city of A Coruña has received a sentence of three and a half years in prison after being found guilty of keeping hold of a winning ticket that belonged to another customer. The prize amounted to 4.7 million euros and was drawn in 2012, according to Majorca Daily Bulletin.
The court ruling indicates that the trader realised the bettor had won a significant prize when the latter asked him to verify his numbers. However, instead of informing him of his win, the seller lied to him, assuring him that none of his combinations had been successful.
Subsequently, the operator tried to claim the prize, alleging that he had found the winning ticket in his establishment. The corresponding lottery administration decided not to pay out the amount and kept the ticket whilst investigating who its true owner was. Despite this, the seller continued to claim the money over a period of eight years.
The legitimate holder of the ticket died in 2014, two years after the draw. The court has ordered that the entire prize be handed over to the heirs of the deceased. The judgment classifies the facts as a crime of aggravated fraud.
The ruling is not final, as there is the possibility of appealing to the Supreme Court.
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin