Turns out his luck didn’t run out after all.
A New York man scammed out of his winning $5 million scratch-off lottery ticket is finally getting his money.
Robert Miles, of Syracuse, bought his winning “Extravaganza” ticket at local convenience store in October 2006, Syracuse.com reports.
Miles was reportedly convinced by the store owner’s two sons, Andy and Nayel Ashkar, that the ticket was worth only $5,000 and paid him $4,000 for it.
The brothers waited until 2012 to claim the jackpot, triggering an investigation by lottery officials.
Miles came forward last year after lottery officials announced that the Ashkar brothers had the winning ticket.
According to Syracuse.com, lottery officials launched a probe after finding it suspicious that the ticket had been sold at the market the Ashkars' parents owned. Also, it was very unusual that the brothers waited so long to make their claim.
Miles, a maintenance worker at a Syracuse apartment complex, testified at the siblings’ trial.
He said he let the ticket slip from his hands seven years ago because he had been addicted to crack cocaine and was confused at the time.
He testified he thought later claiming to be the rightful owner of the ticket would simply be the word of a "crackhead" against a store owner.
Miles’ attorney, Steve Cambareri, told Syracuse.com that his client was “elated the lottery prize has finally been awarded to him,” Syracuse.com reported.
Andy Ashkar was recently found guilty of possessing stolen property in relation to the lottery scam and sentenced to the maximum sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison, Syracuse.com reports.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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