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The intrigue deepens when a lottery ticket with a winning jackpot that has expired over the weekend goes missing.
A man who won one of two Mega Millions jackpots in the same drawing sold at the same store claims he actually bought both winning tickets but lost the other one. . Now he’s suing the California Lottery, hoping to keep the entire pot.
Faramartz Rahijani came forward in June to claim the prize of one of two winning lottery tickets sold at the same gas station in Encino in December 2023.
The Chevron Station located at 18081 Ventura Blvd. Two jackpot-winning Mega Millions tickets are shown sold in Encino on December 9, 2023. (KTLA)
He won $197 million by presenting one of the winning tickets. But now, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Lahijani claims he is the rightful owner of both winning tickets.
According to Patch.com, he said he bought both tickets but lost one and couldn’t track it down before it expired over the weekend.
The winning numbers in the drawing on December 8, 2023 were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70 and Mega Ball 13. Lahijani claims the number was chosen by her children, and she has been using it for decades.
At the time, California Lottery officials could not say whether the results of the unprecedented lottery were a coincidence, but said tickets with matching numbers could only be purchased in a separate transaction.
The breach of contract lawsuit seeks the remaining $197 million, which makes up the remainder of the overall jackpot from the December 2023 drawing.
California Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Becker told KTLA in a statement: “It would be inappropriate for the California Lottery to comment on ongoing or pending litigation in order to protect the integrity of the process involved.” announced.
If the lawsuit is false and the rightful winner of the second jackpot is someone other than Lahijani, the deadline to claim the winnings directly passed on Saturday.
But it’s not the only way lottery winners receive their prizes.
Jackpot winners are not known to lottery officials until they come forward, but they can also mail their winning tickets and necessary documents as long as they are postmarked before the claim deadline.
The rest is a waiting game.
Depending on the shipping method, winning tickets may take several days to reach California Lottery headquarters in Sacramento. The California Lottery recommends certified mail.
Still, the Lottery processes more than 10,000 claims each month, so it can take weeks for your mail to be sorted and opened.
If the winner ultimately loses his or her prize after the ticket expires, or if Rahijani’s lawsuit is dismissed, the prize will be allocated to California Public Education in accordance with the state’s lottery regulations.
In fiscal year 2023-24, revenue from California Lottery games contributed more than $2 billion to public education in the state.
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