Store owner pleads guilty to stealing $5M lotto prize

[Swede]

I hope they catch every last one of these crooks.


It was a traumatic and tumultuous time for four long-time friends and co-workers who hit the lottery jackpot and ended up doubting each other.

But the guilty plea Friday of former Toronto convenience store owner Hafiz Malik has brought the fleeced friends some closure, says their lawyer, Greg Harris.

Malik admitted he stole their winning 6/49 lottery ticket and pocketed $5.7 million, though he pleaded guilty to defrauding the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., which cut the four a cheque for the full amount, plus almost $800,000 in interest, two years ago.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/734809--store-owner-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-5m-lotto-prize

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. That's a lot of Slurpees!

Oy!

[HipChick]

2. convenience store do this a lot...think MSNBC had a special on this..

[imdjh]

3. A study in Britain concluded merchants simply played the lottery more often.

Apparently the British lottery had some way of knowing that a disproportionate number of convenience store owners were winning money, and they investigated to see if the storekeepers were telling people that the tickets were losers and then claiming prizes.

I never take my tickets to the store to be checked. I always check online.

The other night, I won. I won tree-fiddy.

[Bitwit1234]

4. You can't do that in Minnesota

You have to take a winning ticket of over $30,000 to the lottery commission. Not even a lottery outlet can cash it. They are only authorized to cash it up to $30,000. AND if it is over 600 dollars you have to take it to the lottery outlet.

[Swede]

5. In Canada now,even a $2 win,the lotto machines go crazy when read.

There is a loud "Hoo hoo!" lights flash etc,so it's a thing of the past,I hope.