NY deli owners stole $1M lottery ticket, cops say

Nov 23, 2013, 9:38 pm (75 comments)

New York Lottery

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — A Long Island deli owner and his son were charged Saturday with scamming a customer out of a $1 million lottery ticket.

Nassau County police say a 34-year-old man who doesn't speak English bought the ticket Thursday at the Peninsula Deli & Grocery in Hempstead.

The man scratched off his card, saw that he was a winner and handed it to 26-year-old Karim Jaghab to get his winnings, police said.

The ticket was worth $1 million, but Jaghab gave the man $1,000 in cash and kept the ticket, police said.

The customer became suspicious and went back Friday, police said. They say Jaghab and his 57-year-old father, Nabil Jaghab, the owner of the deli, tried to give him $10,000 and told him not to go to the police, authorities said.

The customer went to police, who determined that he had won the $1 million jackpot.

The Jaghabs, of East Meadow, were arraigned Saturday on grand larceny charges. Each was ordered held on $7,500 bond. According to Newsday, their attorney said it was a simple mistake on a payout on a lottery machine.

A similar case unfolded in Suffolk County this year when two Riverhead gas station clerks and the brother of one of the clerks were charged with scamming a customer out of a $74,892 prize.

In that case, police said the clerks gave the man $774 in cash. As with the Nassau case, the victim was an immigrant who speaks no English.

In another case in Syracuse, two brothers who claimed a $5 million lottery ticket sold at their family's store were charged with scamming the winning ticket from a customer in 2006. One brother was sentenced this year to up to 25 years in prison for possessing the stolen ticket; both brothers were acquitted of conspiracy charges.

AP

Comments

LottoBoner

Oh no!!! Not again!!!Thud

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBoner on Nov 23, 2013

Oh no!!! Not again!!!Thud

It's getting to the point where is very difficult to feel sorry for people who buy lottery tickets and have no idea of the value. Makes me wonder how many players are cheated out of the full amount of winners under $100 and I'll bet these stores are making a killing on EBT cards.

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Nov 23, 2013

It's getting to the point where is very difficult to feel sorry for people who buy lottery tickets and have no idea of the value. Makes me wonder how many players are cheated out of the full amount of winners under $100 and I'll bet these stores are making a killing on EBT cards.

The scanners dont work on scratch offs.  Mostly.

emilyg's avataremilyg

If you don't know how to tell how much you've won - don't play.

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by emilyg on Nov 23, 2013

If you don't know how to tell how much you've won - don't play.

In most cases you cant tell until you play.

taxijohn's avatartaxijohn

A simple mistake, but don't go to the Police. Jerks.

emilyg's avataremilyg

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBoner on Nov 23, 2013

In most cases you cant tell until you play.

Of course - but after you play you don't need a clerk to tell you how much you've won.  Learn.

emilyg's avataremilyg

Quote: Originally posted by taxijohn on Nov 23, 2013

A simple mistake, but don't go to the Police. Jerks.

A store in my area lost their lottery for good for doing the same thing.  One of the clerks is in jail.

Slick Nick's avatarSlick Nick

I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest!Smash

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Whatever happened to honesty, trust, dignity, and self respect?. Just because an individual{your customer for that matter}, cannot speak the language, or lacks the wherewithal to enable them to decipher the value of that particular instrument, is no reason for you to take advantage of the situation. What are you gonna do when you think that nobody is watching?. ONCE A THIEF, ALWAYS A THIEF. I hope they lock'em up and throw away the key. Dumba$$e$!!!.

JonnyBgood07's avatarJonnyBgood07

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Nov 23, 2013

It's getting to the point where is very difficult to feel sorry for people who buy lottery tickets and have no idea of the value. Makes me wonder how many players are cheated out of the full amount of winners under $100 and I'll bet these stores are making a killing on EBT cards.

I Agree!It's getting to the point where is very difficult to feel sorry for people who buy lottery tickets and have no idea of the value

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by Slick Nick on Nov 24, 2013

I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest!Smash

a sure cure for such people and to prevent any more problems , is to bbq the crooks in full site of the public

JonnyBgood07's avatarJonnyBgood07

Quote: Originally posted by hearsetrax on Nov 24, 2013

a sure cure for such people and to prevent any more problems , is to bbq the crooks in full site of the public

Sad to say there are no laws in place to make someone think twice about committing a crime anymore.

Slick Nick's avatarSlick Nick

Hearsetrax I agree.Smash

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