Waukegan man claims in a lawsuit filed last week that a CVS employee stole his winning $1 million Illinois Lottery scratch-off card.

Carlos Figueroa claims in the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court that he bought the winning ticket on Oct. 30 from a CVS Pharmacy in Waukegan. The address of the store was not immediately available.

The suit states that Figueroa said he purchased the "Merry Millionaire" instant scratch-off through a vending machine that had cut it in half due to a malfunction.

Figueroa then claims that he was "coerced" by a CVS employee into handing him half of the ticket under the ruse of checking if it was a winner.

Figueroa alleges that about 20 minutes later, the employee handed him back half of a different lottery ticket that was not a winner. He said he made repeated demands at the store for the return of his winning ticket.

Figueroa is hoping for a temporary restraining order and injunction against the Illinois Lottery Board to prevent it from paying out winnings to the CVS employee.

"(Figueroa) is in need of immediate relief in that unless the (CVS employee) and the Illinois Lottery Board is restrained … he will suffer immediate and irreparable harm," the lawsuit states.

Attempts to reach CVS representatives and Illinois Lottery officials about the lawsuit were not successful.

Figueroa is also pursuing an order for the lottery board to recognize him as the rightful owner of the ticket.

It is unclear why he filed the lawsuit in Cook County rather than in Lake County, but his complaint states CVS does business in Chicago. A court hearing on the case has been set for March 19.