Couple suspected of embezzling lottery money sent to trial

A couple in their thirties suspected of having organized prohibited gambling and embezzled up to 1.5 million euros via charity lotteries organized in Gironde, was arrested this week and will be tried in February, we learned Thursday, September 21 from the Bordeaux prosecutor's office.

Since 2017, the two suspects have organized about 500 lotteries in the Bordeaux region, generating a total of 4.8 million euros, including 1.3 to 1.5 million for the personal benefit of the couple. This money would have been laundered in the purchase of high-end cars, trips and games at the casino, detailed a source close to the investigation to AFP, confirming information from the newspaper Le Parisien.

Illegal betting offer

According to Le Parisien, the main suspect, a 32-year-old man, began his activity as a lottery organizer in 2013 to make donations to many associations and institutions such as the Bergonié Institute for the fight against cancer or the hospitals of Bordeaux and Arcachon, before diversifying "into solidarity lotos online".

The two people were arrested Tuesday and Wednesday by investigators from the Central Service of Races and Games, the Zonal Directorate of the Judicial Police (DZPJ) South and judicial customs.

At the end of police custody, the couple was referred to the criminal court, where they are due to appear on 29 February 2024 for "illegal online offering of betting or gambling", "prohibited gambling", "breach of trust committed by an organized gang", "aggravated money laundering", "concealed work" and "fraudulent embezzlement (...) to the payment of the tax, "detailed the prosecutor's office, which requested their placement under judicial control.