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A Texas woman pocketed $ 1 million that her cousin won in the lottery. The scam could cost you to go to jail

2021-11-12T14:26:54.170Z


"The defendant took advantage of her cousin's trust, allegedly lying and manipulating him with the aim of pocketing most of his winning lottery ticket," authorities said


By Antonio Planas -

NBC News

What started out as a family favor ended in a scam that could carry up to 15 years in jail.

A Texas woman is accused of allegedly pocketing a lottery ticket that her cousin bought in New York last year and is valued at $ 1 million, authorities said.

Iris Amador Argueta, 32, from Houston,

turned herself in

to police in Glen Cove, Long Island, on Monday, acting Nassau District Attorney Joyce A. Smith said in a statement.

Lottery tickets displayed in a Delta, Louisiana store on Oct. 23, 2018.Rogelio V. Solis / AP

Argueta was indicted Tuesday on one count of grand theft in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a counterfeit instrument in the second degree, Smith said.

The alleged victim, whose identity was not disclosed, asked the woman to claim the award on her behalf because she wished to remain anonymous.

In exchange for the favor,

he promised to reward her with $ 50,000

.

[A lottery ticket sold at a pizzeria fetches $ 432 million.

And tonight awaits an even bigger prize]

However, Argueta kept most of a balloon payment that amounted to $ 537,440 after taxes, according to prosecutors.

"The defendant

took advantage of her cousin's trust

, allegedly lying and manipulating him with the aim of pocketing most of his million-dollar winning lottery ticket," the prosecutor explained in the statement.

"Thanks to a great partnership with the Glen Cove Police Department, we have recovered more than $ 300,000 in allegedly stolen funds and we will vigorously pursue this case," he added. 

The nearly $ 700 million Powerball already has one owner

Oct. 5, 202100: 36

Argueta could spend

5 to 15 years behind bars if convicted

on the grand theft charge, prosecutors said.

An attorney listed as Argueta's legal representative in New York court records on Thursday did not respond to questions from NBC News, the sister network of Noticias Telemundo.

Argueta could not be located either.

A ticket that cost $ 5

The prosecutor said Argueta's cousin bought a $ 5 Hold 'Em Poker lottery ticket, winning the jackpot on Oct. 28, 2020, at a 7-Eleven in Glen Cove.

[The Mexico Lottery draw that included property confiscated from Mexican drug traffickers already has winners]

After closing the terms of the agreement between the two, Argueta drove to New York from Virginia, where he was living at the time.

At the time, the New York State Gaming Commission would not accept collecting winning tickets in person due to COVID-19 restrictions, so the woman

mailed it in

on Nov. 13, 2020, prosecutors said. .

Weeks later, Argueta showed the victim alleged New York lottery papers according to which his ticket was only awarded with $ 20,000.

The woman then gave her cousin

an envelope with $ 13,436 in cash

and told him that the rest of the money had been used to pay taxes, according to authorities.

Powerball lottery tickets at a store in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan.12, 2021, shows Charlie Neibergall / AP

However, the New York state lottery claimed in a statement posted on its website that Argueta had claimed a million dollar prize and had received $ 537,000 after taxes, according to prosecutors.

That information prompted Argueta's cousin to call her to find out what happened, but she insisted she had no more money for him and

threatened legal action

if he kept calling her, prosecutors said.

Investigators have so far recovered $ 317,825.46 from Argueta's bank account of the alleged award.

The money is withheld, prosecutors said.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2021-11-12

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