Posted by: Mr. Hyde October 21, 2009
Login in to Rate this Post:
0 
? 
?
Grand Prairie store clerk accused of stealing $1 million lottery ticket from customer
07:57 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 21, 2009
From WFAA-TV
Authorities are looking for a Grand Prairie convenience store clerk who is accused of stealing a winning lottery ticket worth $1 million from a customer.
Pankaj Joshi is accused of lying to a 67-year-old customer and telling him that he won $2. Joshi is accused of then taking the winning ticket and cashing it in at lottery headquarters in Austin.
According to an indictment from Travis County, the customer, who apparently plays the same numbers all the time, had a winning Megaplier million dollar ticket. The clerk, who worked at the Lucky Food Store at 902 S. Great Southwest Parkway, told the customer it was worth $2.
After taking the cash option, Joshi transferred $750,000 to several different bank accounts. He then told his co-workers he had to help his cousin run a perfume store in Nepal.
Fellow employees sensed something was wrong because Joshi never played the lottery. They reported him to the lottery commission.
Lottery officials have recovered more than $200,000 from Joshi's bank accounts. U.S. Marshals are working with authorities abroad to locate him.
It was unclear whether the original winner will ever receive the $1 million prize.
Source & Comments:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/102109dnmetlottery.23a506efe.html
07:57 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 21, 2009
From WFAA-TV
Authorities are looking for a Grand Prairie convenience store clerk who is accused of stealing a winning lottery ticket worth $1 million from a customer.
Pankaj Joshi is accused of lying to a 67-year-old customer and telling him that he won $2. Joshi is accused of then taking the winning ticket and cashing it in at lottery headquarters in Austin.
According to an indictment from Travis County, the customer, who apparently plays the same numbers all the time, had a winning Megaplier million dollar ticket. The clerk, who worked at the Lucky Food Store at 902 S. Great Southwest Parkway, told the customer it was worth $2.
After taking the cash option, Joshi transferred $750,000 to several different bank accounts. He then told his co-workers he had to help his cousin run a perfume store in Nepal.
Fellow employees sensed something was wrong because Joshi never played the lottery. They reported him to the lottery commission.
Lottery officials have recovered more than $200,000 from Joshi's bank accounts. U.S. Marshals are working with authorities abroad to locate him.
It was unclear whether the original winner will ever receive the $1 million prize.
Source & Comments:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/102109dnmetlottery.23a506efe.html