A man who won one of two Mega Millions jackpots claims he purchased both winning tickets but lost one of them. Faramarz Lahijani is suing the California Lottery for $197 million, claiming it’s his rightful share. Lahijani had already received $197 million for presenting one ticket but now alleges he bought both and lost the other.
Lahijani says his children picked the numbers, which he’s used for decades. He submitted a claim for the second ticket three days before its expiration date. California Lottery officials initially thought it was an unlikely coincidence but didn’t rule out the possibility of separate purchases.
The lawsuit seeks to keep the entire $197 million jackpot. If Lahijani’s suit is bogus or the rightful winner comes forward, the prize money will be allocated to public education in California, according to state regulations. Last year, lottery games contributed over $2 billion to education.
Source: https://ktla.com/news/california/mega-millions-jackpot-winner-sues-california-lottery-claiming-he-bought-2-winning-tickets