Rightful Lottery Winner Receives $3 Million Prize After Ticket Theft
08:42
31 Jul
Paul Little, a resident of Lakeville, Massachusetts, USA, has finally received his $3 million Mega Millions prize after a shop assistant stole his winning ticket in January.
Little bought two Mega Millions Quick Picks and two Mass Cash tickets at a local shop but accidentally left the tickets behind. Carly Nunes took the ticket and attempted to claim the prize with her co-worker, Joseph Reddem.
Loose Lips Sink Ships
The winning ticket was for the January 17 draw, and Little added a multiplier to his Mega Millions ticket, increasing the jackpot prize. But it all went wrong for Nunes and Reddem when their plan to claim the prize unravelled when they were spotted arguing over how to split the winnings in the lobby of the lottery headquarters, drawing suspicion from officials. More suspicion was aroused when the winning ticket was handed over torn and burned.
Police were called and surveillance footage from the shop was checked, revealing that Little had purchased the ticket, and Nunes and Reddem were only opportunistic staff. Later, the Massachusetts State Lottery managed to locate Little by posting flyers in the Lakeville area.
Little, a diesel engine mechanic, thought he had simply lost the ticket after being tracked down almost a month after the draw. But on June 30, he finally claimed his $3 million prize at the Lottery headquarters in Dorchester.
“I’ve got to say, I’m pretty excited today because it’s real today with the check in hand. It really gave me a greater appreciation for what the Mass Lottery does as far as making sure the rightful people get the award. That’s the amazing part of it. A lot of things had to happen for me to be standing here today.”
Little expressed gratitude to those who helped him secure his winnings and plans to pay off his mortgage as one of his first actions
Busted
Nunes, 23, actually handed over the winning ticket to another customer later, not realising it belonged to Little. It was at this point she decided to keep the ticket for herself and her co-worker.
Two days later, the pair drove to the lottery headquarters and attempted to claim the $3 million prize. After being grilled by lottery officials, nunes admitted she didn’t buy the ticket but had it by accident. She then went on the run for a fortnight before being arrested by state police.
Nunes now faces charges of larceny from a building and attempted larceny, along with presentation of a false claim and witness intimidation. Reddem denies one count of attempted extortion.
