Sign ticket with pen: Good
Use laser printer to 'type' endorsement: Bad
While the identity of the man who won a $48.8 million lottery prize in Alvin remains unknown to the public, a report released Tuesday by the Texas Lottery Commission shows the steps the agency took to verify the ticket's authenticity after it was damaged in a mishap with a laser jet printer.
The mystery man purchased his Texas Lottery ticket Oct. 18 from a self-service machine at the H-E-B Pantry grocery store in Alvin, where he was shopping with his wife and two children, the report shows. But after he became the sole winner of the jackpot on Oct. 21, he traveled a long road as he waited to see whether the commission would really pay up.
That's because his good fortune soured when he placed his winning ticket in a laser printer to type an endorsement on the back, the report shows. The heat generated by the printer turned the data on the front of the ticket black.
Forensics used
On Dec. 17, the ticket holder, acting through a group called MAED Trust, presented the damaged ticket — along with a second, non-winning lottery ticket purchased at the same time and place — to the commission to claim his money. The Lottery Operations Division's Security Department did forensic exams and verification efforts on the ticket, while the agency's Enforcement Division investigated the facts surrounding its purchase and damage.
Forensics analysis found some data still visible on the damaged ticket, including a partial retailer number, but some digits on the ticket were missing.
"Other than the damage to the front of the ticket making portions unreadable, visual inspection did not reveal any inconsistencies or evidence that should not have been present on a ticket for the prize claim," the commission's report states.
Enforcement investigators also took written sworn statements from the ticket purchaser; his attorney, Frank Putman of Houston; Putman's assistant; and a friend of the winner, who were all familiar with the circumstances of the case.
The purchaser and his friend were at the gym together the day after the lottery drawing when the ticket holder saw a TV report displaying the winning numbers. The numbers matched a ticket the man had, and he showed it to his friend, investigators learned. The ticket holder later contacted Putman, who called the commission.
The ticket holder also handed over photos of the winning ticket that he had taken before it was damaged, even though photos are not by themselves "acceptable evidence" to submit instead of an actual ticket as a claim for the lottery prize, the report shows. But the ticket data visible in the pictures were consistent with the ticket data reconstructed by forensic analysts.
Enforcement investigators also viewed H-E-B's security camera recordings showing the man buying the ticket at the time the transaction was recorded on the central computer system. They also examined a receipt showing the ticket holder's purchase of groceries at the store around the same time. Furthermore, the tear line between the damaged winning ticket and the non-damaged ticket he purchased matched, investigators found.
Security officials then performed a query for all transactions recorded on the self-service machine at the H-E-B on the date of purchase. They found only two of the 12 transactions made on the machine that day were for wagers, both being for Lotto Texas tickets. The serial number for the first transaction matched the non-winning ticket submitted by the purchaser, while the winning ticket was purchased eight seconds later, the report shows.
Investigators also found the serial numbers found on the back of the tickets indicated the roll stock paper used was assigned to an H-E-B store 9 miles away in nearby Santa Fe. Representatives for both H-E-B retailers confirmed the roll stock paper had been transferred from the Santa Fe store to the Alvin store when the latter location ran out of paper for its self-service lottery ticket machine.
Paid on Monday
On May 3 — more than six months after the ticket's purchase — the commission agreed to pay the money to the ticket holder. Although the total jackpot was for $76 million, the winner collected $48,877,977.02 because he had chosen the "Cash Value Option," allowing him to collect a lesser amount in one lump sum instead of opting for a 25-year payout.
The winner collected his money on Monday. His name has not been released.
The names of people connected to MAED Trust also remained a mystery Tuesday. Officials with the Texas Department of Banking and Texas Secretary of State say they have no paperwork on file for a trust by that name. R. Sells Neuhaus is listed as the trust's vice president, but he is not the man who bought the winning lottery ticket.
Thanks to lottoball for the tip.
Before handling Paper: It's important to know what Type of Paper it is: In this case the Lottery Ticket was printed on Thermal Paper with a Thermal Printer. Applying Heat to a Thermal Paper Lottery Ticket will all but make it Illegible and make it all but Impossible to Claim the Prize Money if not for Forensics.
Good to know Raven, thanks.
The more you know...
You can also damage Lottery tickets with other heat sources. An iron, for instance. Putting it in the microwave when it gets wet is also a bad idea... you must present a ticket to have a claim.
This guy was really lucky there was such a "trail" and all the different pieces came together.
When I had my big score, I scanned my ticket on my inkjet HP printer. No problems there. Then I put the ticket in a ziplock baggie, and then into my no fly zone. That's an area that I always know will be taken care of. My big fear with using a public copier would be forgetting to take the original ticket out of the copier once I had the copies.
Also do not leave your ticket in a car in the spring or summer months or in direct sunlight... Always bring your ticket inside and store in a cool dark place... i had a $150.00 powerball winner that i almost could not clame because the barcode was damaged due to leaving it in the car. thankfully they manually entered the numbers and i got my money!!!
I always print my name and sign my ticket with a good pen. I then keep my ticket safely in my empty wallet!
The winner was really lucky the lottery had so many forensic methods for ticket authentication. Congratulations to the winner!
The only things I do to my winning tickets are highlight the winning numbers with a pink marker and sign them. So far I haven't had a problem claiming my winnings which lately have only been $150 or less.
Wow, what a Juicy STORY! And Informative Too !!
I Learned alot from this Article, but I mean, hasn't anyone heard of indelible ink?
I think its 7 dollars at most office supply stores.
I think my biggest fear with tickets is misplacing them, or spilling food on them. or Orrrrrr get this............ having them fall in a puddle of mud! The kind that is just not washable! lol.... or orrrrr, hmmm, having them fly out the window!!! 
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I am happy He was able to verify his winnings, and c'mon LP, one of has to win It Big this Year.... Personally, I'm rooting for Pumpi or Todd to win it all, and throw an LP Party Costume Party where we can all go and dance to whatever hip music there is, and well like any appreciative and good guest, just show up for the Good Food. Hear that Pumpi and Todd, I want caviar and truffles at this Party. LOL!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS! i LOVE LP. !!!
He wanted to sign his ticket with a laser printer?
That sounds like the kinda guy you'd like to grab by the back of the neck and shake him around like a rag doll for a few minutes.
Then give him a smack upside his head and hand him a friggin' pen.
In one form or another, that was my first thought too.
So now we know what not to do.
I'm glad that the winner was able to collect the money.
When I win, I will be safely inside with my signed ticket until the lottery office opens.
The Endorsement was for a group called MAED Trust: Maybe he has rotten Penmanship!
I'll make sure to ask Sahib down at the 7-11 what kind of paper my ticket is printed on next time.
How stupid can lottery players be? I wonder if it is only lottery players that are such suckers for punishment that when they get a ticket that has won the jackpot they have to do something to sabatage the whole deal.
I mean come on any village idiot knows that you don't apply heat to thermal paper. Anyone who owned a computer and printer in the 80's or 90's knows about thermal paper. Sh*it, da*mn near all printers were dot matrix or thermal during that time and if you owned a fax machine or worked in a place that had fax machines during that time you know about thermal paper. If you purchase gas in this lifetime and pay at the pump you know about thermal paper.
This lazy dumb azz needs a keeper. He also needs to stay on his knees for the next 100 years thanking God that the TX Lottery Commission decided to go beyond the call of duty to investigate and honor his ticket. They didn't have to but they did.
If this guy was that careless with his winning ticket, I believe that he will be broke as sh*it within a few years.
Good gravy!! Innoculate me from the Dumb Azz virus that seems to be spreading!
Guess he didn't have a typewriter. Good Idea to photocopy the winning ticket. Used to keep my tickets in my wallet until I washed it with my pants. Who knows? They dissolved. I keep them in my change box in my car. I like to check them to see if I need new tickets. Hope they don't burn up. Never had a problem before except for bends.
Don't think I would every put my ticket into a mechanical device. Too many shreddings occur in machines. Ouch, that would be expensive. Zip baggy in a sack tied to my belt I think.
Good luck to all LP members and guests...
This is the craziest story I've read in a while. People like him SHOULDN'T play the lottery...or anything else. Geez....on the other hand, he is one LUCKY man for the lottery to go through the effort to help him. Stupidity shouldn't be rewarded...but in this case it was and often is.
Imagine that! $48M and you dont even need a college degree, no years of experience and references, no rich uncle who owns Intel. Just one borrowed lousy dollar and some luck. I'm surprised the government has not tried to ban lottery seeing the way it bans everything that people seem to enjoy themselves.
Nice of the TX Lottery people to bend just a little.
Betcha Willis Willis would have appreciated a little of that.
CONGRATULATE>U<(late)2222222222222222222222!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TAKE the VICE of PSYKO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BUY a "NEW" BOAT & use that printer 4UR
"ANCHOR"^!^>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
U>R>LUCKY.....&.....a.....WINNER>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Banning the Lottery would mean a Loss of Tax Dollars.
Good advice Psycho- I wouldn't have thought of that.
Anybody remember this one......... I read it in USA Today few years ago
I think the guy was from New Jersey ( maybe New York )....either one....he crossed over from one to the other.....maybe working on a job.....I dont know........as he was an Engineer if I remember correct
Happens to buy a Lottry ticket while he was over there
When he was back home.......throws it into a " catch all " drawer at home I think
Close to a year later he was watching TV one night
News came on and was telling about an unclaimed lottery ticket and that there was just 2 or 3 days to claim it before the time ran out
This jogged his memory about buying one back then....he goes and checks the " catch all " drawer......lookes around in there and finds the ticket he had bought back then
You guessed it.........it was the millions dollar winner everyone was looking for
Then......believe it or not......he puts it in the " Regular Mail "........and sends it in
It gets there one day late........deadline done passed.........but the lottery people see the post mark of a day or two before.....on the envelope .......so they gave him the money
I cant remember how much it was......but it was a LOT of millions
Think about that...........and try and sleep tonite
Astekblue
He's got a ticket worth millions about to expire and he trusts the POST OFFICE to get it there?
This guy should get the Dumbest Luckiest Award for all time.
Dumbest for entrusting it to a mailman.
Luckiest because it even got there. Naturally it was late but the miracle of the story is that it was not lost or stolen or delivered to the wrong state or city or country.
nothing can compare to the power of stupid
Making a copy is probably a good idea, but I would point out that a copy of a ticket is not valid for claiming purposes - and you do run the risk of leaving it in the copier!
The lottery is a great deal for any government. After all, it is difficult to push through a lot of DOUBLE TAXATION methods. One pays tax FIRST (apx. 51%?) when they are purchasing the lottery ticket, and SECOND when they collect their over $5000 win (apx. 35-46%).
I don't think the lottery will ever go out of fashion with governments and organizations within our planet.
BIG congratulations to the winners of this lottery jackpot -- I bet it feels greatly powerful and joyful to be in the lottery black!
What is a "laser jet printer" anyway? either it's an ink jet or a laser, and in this case, a laser.
The new tickets I notice, are very delicate. They are like FAX paper. Much easier to read but be careful with them! even folding can cause the barcode to be unreadable.
even without physical ticket, they pay up, good. the act of buying winner makes him winner
"What is a "laser jet printer" anyway? either it's an ink jet or a laser, and in this case, a laser."
I'm certainly not familair with their entire product line, but HP makes at least 57 laser printers and every one of them is a laserjet.