French Thieves Win Lottery, Robbery Victim Pledges to Share Windfall
French robbers who took a man's backpack containing his wallet subsequently claimed a lottery jackpot. They have not yet attempted to claim the scratch-off, as they are viewed as fugitives, but the person whose funds were utilized to buy the winning ticket has a proposal for the criminals on the run.
La Française des Jeux, commonly referred to as FDJ, manages France's lottery called France Loto. The lottery company located in France recently revealed that a winning scratch-off ticket may be possessed by thieves who took a wallet to buy the instant lottery ticket.
The victim, referred to in police records solely as Jean-David E., reports that he realized his backpack was absent from his car. A resident of Toulouse, the fourth-largest city in France situated in the southern area close to the Spanish border, alerted police regarding the theft.
Jean-David additionally informed his bank to block the stolen credit and debit cards. At that moment, he was alerted to suspicious actions, which included the acquisition of lottery tickets, related to the plastic in question.
Lottery Winnings
Law enforcement traced the card usage to a nearby store in Toulouse.
Investigators interviewed a cashier who informed them that two apparently homeless individuals had utilized the card in question to buy multiple scratch-offs. One of the tickets won the game's major jackpot of €500K (US$526,224).
"They were so totally happy that they forgot their cigarettes and their belongings and walked out like crazy people,” Pierre Debuisson, Jean-David’s attorney, told the Associated Press “It’s an incredible story, but it’s all true.”
It was not revealed which game the robbers had won. France Loto provides various games featuring maximum rewards of €500K.
The supposed criminals face a dilemma — if they step forward, they may be arrested and potentially accused of theft. Debuisson possesses a more appealing alternative.
The lawyer is requesting the people to visit his office and negotiate an agreement to split the earnings with his client.
“You risk nothing. We will share with you, and you will be able to change your lives,” he declared.
Debuisson’s claim of a risk-free guarantee may not be accurate, as authorities could confiscate the lottery prizes as proceeds from illegal activities.
The French Lotto was established as the National Lottery of France in 1933. Last autumn, FDJ finalized its €2.45 billion purchase of the Malta-based online gaming and sports betting company Kindred Group.
Lottery Regulations
Edwin Castro, who won the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in February 2023 — the biggest prize in US lottery history — is facing a lawsuit in court over claims that he stole the ticket. The evidence was lacking since the plaintiff admitted he was unfamiliar with Castro and did not present a claim regarding how Castro could have acquired the ticket.
A judge in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County ultimately decided that lottery participants must ensure the protection of their physical lottery tickets and winning scratch-off tickets for redemption.
“The person in possession of a … winning lottery ticket … is the presumptive owner/winner,” Judge Donna Hollingsworth ruled. “Players are solely responsible for securing their tickets against theft, loss, damage, or destruction.”
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