A Los Angeles lottery winner is suing the California Lottery for an additional $197.5 million, claiming he purchased two identical winning tickets for the December 8, 2023 Mega Millions draw but lost one of them.

Faramarz Lahijani collected half of the $394 million jackpot in June 2024 but maintains he's entitled to the entire prize. According to lottery officials, both winning tickets were sold at the same Chevron gas station on Ventura Boulevard in Encino through separate transactions - an unprecedented occurrence.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court just days before the ticket's December 8, 2024 expiration date, argues that:

• Lahijani is the "sole winner" of both tickets
• A contractual relationship exists between the lottery and ticket purchaser
• The lottery has sufficient information to verify his claim
• He's entitled to the entire jackpot based on his first winning ticket submission

The California Lottery has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. Meanwhile, the Chevron gas station received a record $1.9 million bonus (0.5% of the prize value) for selling both winning tickets.

Lahijani, who previously avoided media attention when claiming his first half of the prize, must now await the court's decision on his claim to the remaining $197.5 million jackpot.

Related Articles

Previous Articles