A 5 p.m. deadline came and went Thursday without a winner coming forward to claim a $63 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot, which has now become the largest California Lottery jackpot ever forfeited — despite a lawsuit by a man claiming he purchased the winning ticket.
Lottery officials said the winning ticket was purchased in Chatsworth for the Aug. 8, 2015, drawing and has all of the winning numbers: 46, 1, 33, 30, 16 and Mega number 24. The winning ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven store at 20871 Lassen St. in Chatsworth. If the winner had come forward and taken a lump sum payment, he or she would have received $39.9 million before taxes.
With the winner failing to come forward, the money will be directed toward state schools, lottery officials said. The previous largest jackpot that has ever gone unclaimed was $28.5 million for a SuperLotto Plus ticket sold in Alameda County in 2003.
On Wednesday, a Southland man filed a lawsuit claiming he purchased the winning ticket and tried to claim the prize, but California Lottery officials rejected it, saying the ticket was damaged.
Brandy Milliner says that when he initially presented the ticket to the Lottery Commission within the claim period, he was given a form congratulating him on his winnings and explaining that he would receive a check in six to eight weeks from the state Controller’s Office, the suit states. However, in January, Milliner received a letter from the commission stating that after a review of his ticket, the agency determined it to be “too damaged to be reconstructed,” the suit states.
The letter cited a section of the California Lottery Act that explained the commission was unable to process Milliner’s claim, the suit states.
Milliner alleges the commission has “interfered” with his prize by withholding the ticket, refusing to return it and refusing to award him the grand prize.
“Subsequent to the draw, the plaintiff has properly and repeatedly demanded payment of the prize,” the suit states. “To date, however, the (commission has) refused to pay the prize.”
Lottery officials said they had no record of anyone trying to claim the prize.
—City News Service