The Jaafars purchased winning lottery tickets at a discount from people who wanted to avoid identification by the state lottery commission, which withholds taxes and outstanding child support payments from payouts. After purchasing the tickets, using the stores that sold them as go-betweens, the Jaafars claimed the full prize amount. They were also ordered to pay $6 million in restitution and forfeit the profits from their scheme. Mohamed Jaafar, another of Ali Jaafar’s sons, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme in November and awaits sentencing. The defendants paid the owners of dozens of stores that sell lottery tickets to facilitate the transactions, and the state lottery commission is in the process of revoking or suspending the licenses of more than 40 lottery agents, authorities said.

Source: ABC News May 23, 2023 17:43 UTC