Thieves used a stolen card to buy a winning French lottery ticket worth €500,000 ($523,000). But they vanished before cashing in, earning notoriety among some of France’s most infamous fugitives. The case holds ramifications for the French banking system, lottery officials, and law enforcement, as reported by AP News.
Victim’s Plea: Sharing Winnings for Wallet Return
The theft victim—identified only as “Jean-David E.”—has an unusual offer for those who robbed him. He has proposed splitting the lottery winnings in exchange for the return of his wallet.
Meanwhile, the culprits face the risk of arrest. Days after the crime, the French state lottery operator reported that no one had yet redeemed the winning ticket.
From Card Theft to Lottery Win
In early February, Jean-David discovered that his backpack had been stolen from his car in the southern city of Toulouse. Inside were his bank cards. When he contacted his bank to block the card, he was informed that it had already been used in a local shop.
When contacted, the store proprietor recalled that two men, who appeared to be homeless, used one of Jean-David’s cards to purchase a scratch-off lottery ticket. When they rubbed off the ticket, they saw immediately that they had won.
“They were so overjoyed that they forgot their cigarettes and belongings and walked out like crazy people,” the store owner says.
Balancing Legal Action and Financial Incentive
Jean-David filed a police complaint about the crime but is prepared to withdraw it if the robbers come forward so they can share the money.
“Without [the thieves], no one would have won,” Jean-David said on public broadcaster France-2.
Prosecutor’s Potential Seizure of Lottery Winnings
Prosecutors may attempt to seize the winnings, considering them illegally obtained gains, Jean-David’s lawyer warns. That attorney has since made a national appeal, urging the perpetrators to contact his office to negotiate a deal.
“You risk nothing … . We will share with you,” he says. “And you would be able to change your lives.”
He also cautions that the ticket will eventually expire.
The full version of this bank-lottery-legal conundrum can be found at AP News.
