A man from Los Angeles, who claimed half of a $394 million Mega Millions prize last year, is taking legal action against the California Lottery for the remaining half.
Faramarz Lahijani states he bought two tickets with identical numbers from a Chevron gas station for the Dec. 8, 2023 drawing, though he misplaced one of them. He still cannot locate it.
Lahijani stepped up to claim the initial portion of the prize, $197.5 million, in June, but refrained from making any public statements, informing the Lottery he preferred not to engage with the media.
Atypical Transaction
It remains uncertain why Lahijani opted to buy two tickets bearing the same numbers when one would have sufficed.
The Lottery revealed immediately after the drawing that the two winning tickets were purchased at the same location, a Chevron gas station located on Ventura Boulevard in Encino – a first.
A spokesperson for the Lottery mentioned that the two winning tickets were acquired "through two distinct transactions," but could only guess the reason behind it.
“While this is incredibly unusual and interesting, it’s not unheard of,” the spokesperson said. “There are any number of explanations. Perhaps one person wanted to try their luck on two different rows for whatever reason, or maybe a couple of buddies wanted to try their chances with the same exact numbers. We won’t know exactly how this happened until the prize is claimed.”
Violation of Agreement
In his legal action, submitted last Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Lahijani clarifies it explicitly. He states he bought both winning Mega Millions tickets, is the “only winner,” and is thus “entitled to the complete jackpot … due to his having promptly submitted the initial matching ticket.”
He further claims that the Lottery possesses enough information to recognize him as the legitimate winner of the entire jackpot. The acquisition of lottery tickets establishes a contractual bond between the purchaser and the California Lottery, which, per the lawsuit, is being breached by failing to pay out.
The lawsuit was initiated only days prior to the expiration date of the purported lost ticket, Dec. 8, 2024, "as a precautionary measure to safeguard all rights related to the full Mega Millions jackpot for December 8, 2023."
The Lottery stated it has no remarks regarding the current lawsuit.
One group that is entirely satisfied with the outcome is the gas station that sold the two winning tickets. According to California regulations, retailers that sell tickets valued over $1 million receive a bonus of 0.5% of the prize amount. The Chevron in Encino earned a record bonus of $1.9 million because it sold two, regardless of whom the second one was sold to.
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