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Four accused in Florida lottery ticket fraudNews Story
Stuart Elvia Urieta had heard about scheme in which someone claims to be an undocumented immigrant who needs an American citizen -- and money to cash a winning lottery ticket.So the 13-year Stuart resident was suspicious when a woman asked her for $29,000 to cash a ticket reportedly worth $325 million last weekend.Urieta called authorities, who on Tuesday announced a rare arrest in one of the common lottery frauds. You know you can never find these people because they come and go so quick, said
Sep 14, 2005, 6:22 am - Lottery News

New Port Richey couple claims $35 Million Florida JackpotNews Story
The Florida Lottery announced today Florida Lotto winner Paul Combs, of New Port Richey, claimed the $35 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the August 24 drawing.Accompanied by his wife, Charlotte, Combs, a retired grocery store manager, chose the one-time lump sum payment option for his winnings, in the amount of $20,762,138.51.He purchased his winning Florida Lotto ticket at Kash N' Karry, 7431 State Road #54 in New Port Richey. The winning numbers were 06, 07, 13, 29, 44, and 53.According to
Aug 30, 2005, 2:49 pm - Lottery News

Florida Lotto winner buys golf course for $1.4 millionNews Story
A 2002 winner of the Florida lottery purchased the Ironwood Golf Course in East Naples today for $1.4 million.Ronald Berger submitted the winning bid at an auction to take over the course. It had been in foreclosure for more than a year because the previous owner hadn t paid off creditors.Berger, a 73-year-old Naples resident, said he plans to let the land remain a golf course and said he plans to open a restaurant on the site.Before winning the lottery in 2002, Berger had always wanted to own a
Aug 23, 2005, 4:27 pm - Lottery News

Florida Lottery will not honor misprint scratch-off jackpotNews Story
She thought she won $250,000 in the lottery, but the lottery said it's not paying. The lottery said what appeared to be a winning ticket was a misprint.Tina Coley buys her scratch off tickets at the same store every week. She said she almost had a heart attack when she matched a number for a quarter of a million dollars. But the Florida Lottery said the ticket is a misprint and Coley's only entitled to $20.Coley and her family raise German Shepherds. They have enough puppies to keep them smiling
Jul 29, 2005, 11:03 pm - Lottery News

Handyman wins Florida Lotto jackpotNews Story
It's official: Jack Murray is the luckiest man in Englewood, Florida.Murray, a 43-year-old Rotonda West handyman, claimed an estimated $12 million Florida Lotto jackpot this week.According to Florida Lottery officials, who made the announcement Wednesday, Murray chose to take his winnings in a one-time lump sum. That means he pocketed $7,616.592.95.Murray bought the winning ticket at the Publix on Placida Road in Cape Haze Saturday afternoon, said Lillian Murray, Jack's mother. He chose his numb
Jun 9, 2005, 12:26 pm - Lottery News

N.C. gets lottery advice from Georgia, FloridaNews Story
Even as a gaming advocate, Steve Geller offers a bit of caution as North Carolina considers sanctioning a state lottery don't promise too much.Geller's home state of Florida has shipped $14 billion in lottery profits to a state education trust fund since the lottery's 1988 beginning.But it hasn't been nearly enough to escape the sort of criticisms that have come with lotteries nationwide, especially ones intended to help pay for education initiatives. It will help education, but it will never
Jun 6, 2005, 10:27 am - Lottery News

One Florida Lotto ticket wins $12 million jackpotNews Story
One lucky Florida resident in the Cape Haze area woke up Sunday morning and realized they now had a few extra dollars available to buy the little things, and maybe even a few big things.The winning $12 million Florida Lottery ticket was sold at the Publix in Cape Haze, 8725 Placida Road.The six winning numbers for Saturday's drawing were 09-11-16-22-44-52. Unfortunately, no one has come forward, yet, said Nick DiGregorio, the grocery manager at the store.The store gets a printout which tells th
Jun 6, 2005, 8:54 am - Lottery News

Jackpot lottery ticket: dying man's final giftNews Story
A woman who bought a lottery ticket at the urging of her dying father won almost $1 million the day he passed away.Yolanda Williams won the $979,440 prize after her father, Frank Reppa, sent her from his hospital room May 24 to go to a convenience store and buy a ticket. The two had always bought lottery tickets together. My father gave this to me, said Williams, 50, a retired custodian for the St. James City post office in Lee County on the Gulf Coast. 'It is a blessing and a gift. Williams tu
Jun 1, 2005, 7:12 pm - Lottery News

New Florida lottery law increases prizesNews Story
Florida lottery players soon will rake in more dough when they win games such as Lotto, Mega Money and Fantasy 5, thanks to a bill signed into law Thursday by Gov. Jeb Bush. Bush, an outspoken critic of gambling, and state lottery officials are betting that the higher payouts will boost ticket sales for the games, similar to a measure passed three years ago that doubled the sales of scratch-off games.Higher sales should mean more money for education, which is the stated purpose of the new law. A
May 29, 2005, 10:01 am - Lottery News

Birthdays Pay Off Big For Tampa ManNews Story
Manuel Pena gladly took his lumps.Pena, a handyman, took a one- time lump sum payment of $342,244.50 after winning the May 13 drawing of Mega Money.Pena, 51, of Tampa plans to buy a new truck, invest in real estate and spend his winings on family. He used birthdays of family members to choose the winning numbers.He purchased the winning ticket at the Publix in Hillsborough Plaza. Pena's wife entered a 7-Eleven store to check on the numbers. She called her husband with the surprising news, a Flor
May 20, 2005, 12:21 pm - Lottery News