Canadian lottery officials say they’ve finally awarded to the correct people a 2003 multimillion-dollar jackpot that authorities say was fraudulently claimed by a lottery retailer’s relative.
Seven men who played Canada’s Super 7 lottery together in December 2003 were awarded a $12.5 million jackpot plus $2.35 million in interest after being declared the rightful winners, the Toronto Star reported. Each will receive $2.1 million.
“It’s a little surreal,” one of the men, Joseph Reaman, 35, of Ridgeville, Ontario, said at a news conference introducing the winners, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “I got a baby on the way, and he’s pretty much set for life.”
The correction comes after three members of a family - two of whom worked for a Burlington, Ontario, lottery outlet – were charged last year on suspicion of stealing the winning ticket, according to the CBC.
An investigation by lottery officials and provincial police revealed that one of the seven rightful winners bought a Super 7 ticket at a store in October 2003 in St. Catharines, Ontario. The buyer redeemed the ticket later at the outlet in Burlington and wasn’t told that he won a free ticket, investigators determined, according to the CBC.
That ticket went on to win a $12.5 million jackpot. It was claimed by Kathleen Chung, sister and daughter of men who worked at the outlet.
A lottery investigator learned that Chung was a relative of retailers Kenneth Chung and Jun-Chul Chung, but the lottery paid her because it couldn’t prove wrongdoing, the CBC reported.
After the CBC’s “Fifth Estate” program profiled Chung – with Chung claiming not being able to remember where she bought the ticket - provincial police investigated the case and determined that the outlet didn’t give the free ticket to its rightful owner, leading to last year’s charges, which include theft and fraud, according to the CBC.
Further investigation led authorities to determine the prize belongs to the seven men who were awarded Thursday. The men were co-workers in the construction business in 2003, the Star reported.
“After more than seven long years, the right prize is going to the right people,” a beaming Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission chair Paul Godfrey said Thursday, according to the Star.
The Chungs are free on bail as they await trial, the Star and the CBC reported.
Had to have been a grueling 7 year wait.
The debate regarding dog years is too funny, and quite sad. I now know the intelligence level of those I'm competing with for employment.
Dog spelled backwards is God – so be good to them, or else...
Why do some Americans feel the need to slam everyone else but themselves? You ignorance is assumed and thus your curse. Unfortunately future generations will always be burdened by a legacy of ignorance. You are too stupid to insult and nothing can be said to make you feel any worse than you already feel about yourself. Sadly pathetic.
my dog just turned 7, therefore I'm 1
"Kathleen Chung, sister and daughter of men who worked at the outlet."
Cousins of wang dang chung.. slimy store owners, they're doing this all over the country in the Asian and Muslim owned bodega's to finance terror against America and the west...Wake the $%^&* up law enforcement.
do they televise winter olympics in U.S ?
OK, here's what really confuses me,..everyone is talking about dog years, CNN doing the math, etc;.. Has anyone even noticed that these people supposedly won 12.5 MILLION DOLLARS and are only being awarded 2.1 MILLION DOLLARS each?? Talk about the math. Hmmmm,. what's wrong with this picture? Please, someone explain to me where the other millions went!?
oooooppss,..my mistake. 7 people. OK then. Dag it! LOL
@Martinski57..Yeah, it "7 people" at 2.1M a piece. Try to proof read next time, so you will not "Laugh Out Loud" w/ your own ignorance again.
I discovered while at the vet's one day, and according to a chart on the wall, that there is a difference in a dog year related to human year relative to the size of the dog...........just saying!
The last name is chung, the dog wouldnt make it 1 dog year-he would have been stir fried!
I'm impressed with the honesty of the candian lottery people, wow.
Yes, if this investigation was done solely by them without the necessity of expensive lawyers for the claimants.
Excellent job. Someone must have rolled over on the others. Two hours in the sauna and they were singing like a canary.
This happens more then you might think. note to all who play the lottery. When you go to check your ticket alway..... let me type tha again ALWAYS get the ticket back. Ask for a print out of the winning numbers. DON"T LEAVE WTHIOUT YOUR TICKET!!!!!!
The MOST important thing to remember is to always put your name on the back of your lottery ticket BEFORE you give to anyone to check for you.
Don't be. The OLG (the gov't corp. that handles the lottery in Ontario) has been plagued by scandals for the last five years. This isn't even the worst we've heard up here. At one point, they estimated almost $100 million in winnings had been misappropriated due to shady retailers.
I am happy for these men. The Chungs must go to jail for several years.
I think Charlie Sheen had something to do with this. I haven't figured it out yet, but I will and get back to you all with a full report.
Wowzers. What a bunch of brain surgeons. I hope the dog thing is clarified finally. If not, go back to grade 3. And really, people are the same wherever you go, except on the internet. They turn into rude, obnoxios morons because it's the only forum they feel secure enough to do so. I am a Canadian who owns homes in the US and Mexico. We're all the same, really...we're people. If you were educated, well travelled, well read, that sort of thing, you'd see just how small the world really is. I am very proud and thankful to be Canadian, nevertheless.
Well said. We are all human with all our vices...it's just easy to sit in judgement when you are anonymous. Plus, it's my belief that many people post things just to stir the pot. I wonder how many Canadians may have said something ugly about Canada just to get the hair pulling and finger scratching going. Humans are ugly, foul beings. But I have to say, in all honestly, when I read this man received payments from the tax coffers for killing 100 dogs with all the blood and howling I did snicker and think...only in Canada (and like countries) would anyone get paid to commit a crime....lol
The Chung need to meet with ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER to havr an appropriate punishment handed down immediately.
AB-DU-LAH AB_DU_LAH
Wait, what is this article about? LOL