Mega Millions Winner Defrauded by Clerk May Sue

Posted on December 2nd, 2009

Many lottery players take their lottery tickets to retail outlets to have their numbers checked. Over the years there have been many cases of unscrupulous clerks telling victims that their lottery tickets were not winners when in fact they were winning tickets. One state even went so far as to initiate a sting operation where agents took ‘winning’ tickets to various retail lottery terminals to check the honesty of the employees at various retail lottery outlets. Several clerks were arrested after they told agents their lottery tickets were worthless. Most lottery experts advise players to check numbers online or check print media for reliable information.

In Texas lottery player Willis Willis took a winning Mega Millions ticket to a Grand Prairie Lucky Food Store No. 2 on May 29 and asked a clerk to check three tickets one of which was a million dollar Mega Millions winner. The clerk, Pankaj Joshi, told Willis he had won $2 and kept the winning ticket and later claimed $750,006 after taxes and left the country. Joshi’s co-workers voiced suspicions and the lottery commission investigated and sent the case to the Travis County district attorney’s office. Joshi was indicted for claiming a lottery prize by fraud which is a second degree felony.

Prosecutors have recovered about $365,000 from banks and have said that Willis is the rightful owner of the winnings. Should Willis be awarded the money he wants the state lottery commission to make up the difference. Earlier Willis and his attorneys met with lottery officials and amazingly they were told that the commission considers Joshi the winner even though he defrauded Willis.

Willis and his lawyers now want to question lottery officials and store representatives under oath. Lawyers for Willis have petitioned a judge for the authority to depose Gary Grief, Texas Lottery Commission deputy executive director, and Thomas Hanson, commission investigator. Willis’s lawyers, Randy Howry and Sean Breen stated in their petition, “The Texas Lottery markets and sells itself as an entity that can make dreams come true. The Texas Lottery identifies as one of its “core values” the “integrity and responsibility” of the lottery. … Based upon the experience of Willis, nothing could be further from the truth.”

Willis’s lawyers also want to take depositions from the owner, manager and assistant manager of the store at which Willis bought his ticket and also GTECH officials who operate the lottery. Willis appears to be laying the groundwork for a lawsuit. Since the clerk who defrauded Willis is now a fugitive it may be hard to prove just who is responsible. Hopefully this lottery mess can be settled to everyone’s satisfaction.

Many states now allow the sales of online lottery tickets. Players can also check for winning numbers by date which would make the kind of fraud suffered by Mr. Willis impossible. The ability to purchase lottery tickets online is a real convenience for players; no more trips to the lottery retailer and no more standing in long lines. Lotteries are swiftly catching up with 21st century technology.