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Brothers Scam Lottery Winner out of winning ticket
#1
These assholes live near Syracuse NY. Apparently a guy presented a $5 million winning lottery scratch off ticket...THEY told him it was a $5,000 winner...and oh by the way...you owe us a $1,000 fee for cashing it. Then they held onto it for 6 years figuring the guy would forget about it. They attempted a claim a few weeks back....and the guy thought to himself.."Hey, wait a sec..these are the guys who took MY ticket..
Now I had always thought that the Lottery people would look into such a large winner..expecially since it was bought at the family store.

here is the story:
WHEC.com

Two brothers from central New York who claimed a $5 million lottery ticket sold at their family's store have been accused of scamming the winning ticket from a customer.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick says 34-year-old Andy Ashkar and 36-year-old Nayel Ashkar are charged with attempted grand larceny and conspiracy. Andy Ashkar also was charged with criminal possession of stolen property.

Their lawyer says the brothers will plead not guilty. They maintain they legitimately received the ticket.

Andy Ashkar claimed in March that he bought the ticket at his parents' convenience store in Syracuse. But Fitzpatrick says the legitimate purchaser was fooled into giving up the winning scratch-off ticket when he went to cash it at the market in October 2006.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.
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#2
I think they need to be cashed within a year.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.
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#3
(11-14-2012, 01:10 PM)Maggot Wrote: I think they need to be cashed within a year.

I was thinking the same thing when I read this. I thought that was an excessive length of time to hold the ticket.
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#4
No, it was 6 years and they waited till the last minute. They asked lottery officials not to announce that they came forward to claim the prize but, suspicious, lottery officials issued full press releases.

Here are the not winners:

[Image: FeatureImage.jpg]
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#5
(11-14-2012, 01:30 PM)heartbreaker6713 Wrote:
(11-14-2012, 01:10 PM)Maggot Wrote: I think they need to be cashed within a year.

I was thinking the same thing when I read this. I thought that was an excessive length of time to hold the ticket.

In an earlier story on the local news, they said they held onto it because they wanted to be sure they were "mature" enough to handle that sum of money. And supposedly one had a girlfriend who he wanted to marry, and he wanted to make sure she did not say yes just because he had money.

Right now they are not releasing the name of the real winner..he is just being referred to as "John Doe"
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#6
(11-14-2012, 02:32 PM)QueenBee Wrote:
(11-14-2012, 01:30 PM)heartbreaker6713 Wrote:
(11-14-2012, 01:10 PM)Maggot Wrote: I think they need to be cashed within a year.

I was thinking the same thing when I read this. I thought that was an excessive length of time to hold the ticket.

In an earlier story on the local news, they said they held onto it because they wanted to be sure they were "mature" enough to handle that sum of money. And supposedly one had a girlfriend who he wanted to marry, and he wanted to make sure she did not say yes just because he had money.

Right now they are not releasing the name of the real winner..he is just being referred to as "John Doe"

It's an interesting story, QB. A year does seem like a more prudent redemption dead-line.

The real winner is a 49 year old maintenance worker and father of two. His friend had told him he won 5 million, but the winner couldn't believe that was true and thought it was 5 thousand, which is what he told the scamming store clerk.

That's when the winner agreed to take 4 thousand in cash to "avoid taxes and complications". That last part may give the Lottery Commission just cause not to payout on the ticket, imo. That's gotta be a crime. But, Fitzpatrick says he's gonna push "to get this guy his dough".

Because the payout is in installments of $250,000 annually for 20 years, Fitzpatrick said, the winner may be entitled to $1.5 million right away for the six years that have passed since he bought the ticket.

I think the winner acted foolishly 6 years ago, but he's reportedly decent and hard-working, so I hope he gets the pay out.

P.s. can't believe the scamming brothers aren't twins; look exactly alike to me but they're 3 years apart.

Ref:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-11-1...ery-ticket
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#7
I was always of the impression that stores could not pay out a prize larger than $600. That anything larger had to be dealt with directly by the New York State Lottery Commission.
Iknow that it is just a year for the lotto drawings...but the 6 years is for the scratch off tickets. Bet they change that rule soon.
Just hope they do not hold John Doe liable for the scam. His only mistake was falling for it.
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