The plot thickens in the case of a missing jackpot-winning lottery ticket that expired over the weekend.
A man who won one of two Mega Millions jackpots from the same drawing, both sold at the same store, claims he actually purchased both winning tickets but lost the other. Now he’s suing the California Lottery in hopes of keeping the entire pot.
Faramarz Lahijani came forward in June to claim the winnings from one of two winning lottery tickets sold at the same gas station in Encino in December 2023.
A Chevron station located at 18081 Ventura Blvd. in Encino where two jackpot-winning Mega Millions tickets were sold is shown on Dec. 9, 2023. (KTLA)
He was awarded $197 million for presenting one of the winning tickets. But now, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Lahijani is claiming he’s the rightful owner of both winning tickets.
He says he purchased both tickets but lost one of them and was unable to track it down before it expired over the weekend. He submitted a claim for the second ticket on Dec. 4, three days before the expiration date.
The winning numbers from the Dec. 8, 2023, drawing were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and Mega Ball 13. Lahijani claims his children picked the numbers, which he’s used for decades.
At the time, California Lottery officials couldn’t say if the unprecedented lottery result was a coincidence but said it was only possible for the tickets with matching numbers to be purchased in separate transactions.
The breach of contract suit seeks the remaining $197 million that comprised the rest of the overall jackpot from the December 2023 drawing, alleging that there is sufficient evidence to prove Lahijani was the purchaser of both winning tickets.
Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California Lottery, released a statement to KTLA that reads, “It would not be appropriate for the California Lottery to comment on an active lawsuit or any pending litigation to protect the integrity of the process involved.”
In the event that the lawsuit is bogus and the rightful winner of the second jackpot is someone other than Lahijani, the deadline to claim the prize in person passed on Saturday.
But that’s not the only way a lotto winner can claim their prize.
Jackpot winners, who remain unknown to lottery officials until they come forward, can also mail in the winning ticket and required paperwork, as long as it is postmarked before the claim deadline.
Then it’s a waiting game.
It could take days for the winning ticket to arrive at the California Lottery headquarters in Sacramento depending on mailing method—the California Lottery recommends certified mail.
And even then, the Lottery processes more than 10,000 claims per month, so it could be several weeks before the mail is even sorted and opened.
If the winner ended up letting the ticket expire and forfeiting the reward, or if Lahijani’s suit is dismissed, the prize money will be allocated to public education in California, in accordance with state lottery regulations.
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, proceeds from California Lottery games contributed over $2 billion to public education in the state.
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