$63M Lottery Win About to Go Unclaimed

Though guy says California Lottery destroyed his winning ticket
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 4, 2016 7:30 AM CST
$63M Lottery Win About to Go Unclaimed
A store clerk removes a Powerball quick-pick lottery ticket in Oakland, Calif.   (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

A California Lottery winner has only hours left to claim $63 million—the deadline is 5pm local time. "The rules are the rules," a lottery spokesman tells the AP, noting that six months will have passed without anyone claiming the prize. He says he's curious to know what became of the winning ticket—46-1-33-30-16 and Mega number 24—sold at a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles on Aug. 8, though one man claims that lottery officials already know. Brandy Milliner filed a lawsuit on Wednesday claiming he turned in the winning ticket and received a congratulatory letter, but was then told his ticket was too damaged to be processed. He alleges officials have since "destroyed" his ticket, per the Los Angeles Times.

"The last-minute timing of this is suspicious," lottery spokesman Russ Lopez says of the lawsuit. "I am not saying it's not real." He says lottery officials are reviewing the allegations and were "taken aback" by the lawsuit. It's possible the man did receive a congratulatory letter, he adds, noting that anyone claiming a prize gets one automatically. If the money isn't claimed, it goes into the state education fund. (Click to read about 11 lottery winners who died tragically.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X