Lottery 'winner' sues for $63M

Dec 23, 2003, 5:37 am (20 comments)

Mega Millions

All he wants for Christmas is $63 million - plus interest.

A Brooklyn man has filed suit against New York Lottery, claiming he won last year's Mega Millions drawing on Christmas Eve.

Dr. Fritzner Bechette claims he "lost the ticket in a non-retrievable situation" and has tried to claim the prize since last Dec. 25.

Lottery officials say the ticket is worth $68 million. It wasn't immediately clear why Bechette is suing for $5 million less. The suit was filed in Queens Supreme Court last week.

The deadline to collect the unclaimed ultimate Christmas bonus - one of the larger jackpots in the 10-state Mega Millions history - falls one minute before midnight.

"It's very rare that we've had a jackpot of this size lapse," said Carolyn Hapeman, a spokeswoman for New York Lottery. "It's a sizeable jackpot to not claim."

Hapeman would not comment on Bechette's suit. 

On Christmas Eve, 2002, the winning ticket - with the numbers 8 24 39 43 52 and Megaball 43 - was sold at the Kings Plaza Newsstand in Brooklyn.

No one has produced it.

"I'm sad for [the winner]," said Imran Yousaf, 24, a cashier at the newsstand, who was working last Christmas Eve. "Someone should get it. There are some unlucky people and maybe they just lost the ticket."

The newsstand long ago collected its winnings: a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket. Every year, millions of dollars in prizes go unclaimed, according to Hapeman. But the $68 million jackpot would be the biggest not to be collected. It more than doubles the previous record of $27 million, in 2001.

Meanwhile, tonight's Mega Millions jackpot is $100 million and the Christmas Eve jackpot for Powerball, which is sold in Connecticut, is $137 million.

It's the first time both jackpots have been reached at least $100 million simultaneously.

New York Post

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Comments

CASH Only

I had been wondering what happened with that ticket.

As for suing for "less" than the jackpot value, obviously the ticket was not "worth" $68 million because of the annuity interest.

winsumloosesum's avatarwinsumloosesum

I have that ticket too!!

I settle for $30 million and half to my lawyer.

fja's avatarfja

Thats going to have to be some pretty compelling evidence for that to be awarded....even settled as a nuisance suit

Bug's avatarBug

 

Compelling evidence? The right lawyer and meaningless evidence might work?

visiondude's avatarvisiondude

 looks like dr. bechet

kbcherokee's avatarkbcherokee

V:

My thoughts exactly...

Chief

weshar75's avatarweshar75

What kind of lottery winner, if the doctor is even the winner,asks for less than the ticket is worth.  Besides the fact that he left his ticket in a mysteriously convinent non-retrievable situation.  Sounds like the doctor is a conman looking for a get rich scheme.

Jorli D's avatarJorli D

Go easy on lawyers....we're not all bad!  LOL

DoubleDown

Hey--What's brown and black and looks good on a lawyer ?

a doberman.....

just kidding <:

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night !!

visiondude's avatarvisiondude

 sorry jorli.

 i was referring to the johnny cochranes of life and those lawyers on the back of phone books.

 "if at first it doesn't fit,  you must admit"

 iamgoingtoneedagoodlawyerpostvision

jacaesar

This guy is lying.  I wonder who's paying him.  The reason why the ticket hasn't been claimed is because it was stolen from my home in New Jersey and I believe whomever stole it has been in contact with the NY Lottery and that there is a conspiracy going on.  I will immediately seek a lawyer.  I have notified the lottery of the exact date and approximate time the ticket was purchased and it was not purchased on December 24, 2002 as reported by the Lottery Director.  I think this is part of the scheme.

jacaesar

THis guy is lying.  I purchased that ticket and I notified the NY Lottery after it was stolen from my home.  I also notified them of the exact date and approximate time the ticket was purchased and it was not on December 24, 2002 as stated by the NY Lottery Director on August 19, 2003.  He must be a part of the scheme.

Todd's avatarTodd

jacaesar,

Good luck in your suit, I hope you're successful.  If you do indeed file a lawsuit, be sure to send me updates so I can post the news stories about it here.

jacaesar

Thank you Todd:  I believe this is a clever way for the lottery officials in conspiracy with politicians to try and discredit me.  However, if the purchase data is protected from being modified they can match it with the information which I supplied to them months ago and prove something very wrong is going on.  Note:  The winning information was never posted on the mega million website when the ticket came out.  Moreover it was pulled from the NY website and subsequently put back on after I notified them that the ticket was stolen.  Moreover, the NY Director will now be running the MegMillion Lottery drawings held in Georgia.  I believe this is a reward for her cooperation to help deprive me of my winnings.  If I wasn't suppose to collect the winnings they should not have sold me the ticket.  I believe the lottery officials and the politicians are trying to keep the public from knowing the real deal.  Corruption exists and is present in this instance.

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