Woman arrested for trying to fake jackpot winning lottery ticket

May 1, 2012, 3:40 pm (50 comments)

Mega Millions

Note to anyone thinking of gaming the state lottery: it never works.

An Elgin, Illinois, woman tried to cash in on the record $656 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot with a ticket she bought online eight minutes after the winning numbers were drawn, officials said today.

Leandria Williams, 28, was initially charged with wire fraud last week for falsifying documents. She has now been charged with attempted theft and forgery, according to the Cook County sheriff's office.

An investigator from the Illinois Department of Lottery contacted the sheriff's office on April 4 after Williams came into the lottery claims office in Des Plaines and said she had a winning ticket for the Mega Millions jackpot drawn on March 30, officials said.

The ticket bore the winning numbers, but records showed only three Mega Millions winners and none of those tickets were from the Chicago area, officials said.

Lottery logs showed Williams' ticket was produced shortly after 10 p.m. on March 30, eight minutes after the winning numbers were drawn. Williams also produced an email receipt that was altered, officials said.

Lottery officials told Williams she had to complete a claim form that would be sent to Springfield for verification. Williams filled out the form and submitted her fraudulent documents, officials said.

Lottery officials and police met with Williams on April 16 and she was arrested. Officials said today that Williams' scam was the first of its kind in Illinois.

Chicago Tribune

Comments

VenomV12

Good, she is an idiot.

mcginnin56

There is a never ending supply of greedy morons.  Hippy

 

Moral of this story: If your going to act like a moron, at least wear a pink swine cap so we can spot you coming.  Poke

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Know matter what.....You can't fix  "gormless"

beachygirl2011's avatarbeachygirl2011

I've worked in banking for 10 years and have seen it all...this doesn't surprise me...just surprised this is the first time it has happened.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by beachygirl2011 on May 1, 2012

I've worked in banking for 10 years and have seen it all...this doesn't surprise me...just surprised this is the first time it has happened.

This may not be the "first time" this has happened. We are just hearing about this recent isolated story courtesy of Todd.

Cletu$2's avatarCletu$2

Stupid,stupid stupid!

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

LOL....No she didn't!!!!!Bash

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on May 1, 2012

This may not be the "first time" this has happened. We are just hearing about this recent isolated story courtesy of Todd.

It's not the first time it has happened, scammers use to claim that the terminal clock was off and flip over too soon.  PowerBall cut-off or flip the clock an hour before the drawing and I think MM has started doing it too in Ohio although all the local games can be played up to 15 mins. before the drawings.  I always play MM and PB an hour before the drawing to be safe.

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on May 1, 2012

It's not the first time it has happened, scammers use to claim that the terminal clock was off and flip over too soon.  PowerBall cut-off or flip the clock an hour before the drawing and I think MM has started doing it too in Ohio although all the local games can be played up to 15 mins. before the drawings.  I always play MM and PB an hour before the drawing to be safe.

Its funny both powerball and megamillions draw at 11 pm (i believe so anyway)...in New York the

Cutoff time for MM is 10:45  PM...

Cutoff time for PB  is 9:30   PM

I find this discrepancy heinously strange....

i would imaging the 9:30 P.M cutoff time would cause countless million in lost sales during frenzied jackpots....Thud

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBoner on May 1, 2012

Its funny both powerball and megamillions draw at 11 pm (i believe so anyway)...in New York the

Cutoff time for MM is 10:45  PM...

Cutoff time for PB  is 9:30   PM

I find this discrepancy heinously strange....

i would imaging the 9:30 P.M cutoff time would cause countless million in lost sales during frenzied jackpots....Thud

Must be different depending on the state. My NH lottery website says you have until 9:50 PM to play PB. Just visted the NY lottery website

where it indicated you have only to 9:00 PM.

psykomo's avatarpsykomo

Bat

 

Cook county $CAMMER$ may not BD >>>>>>>BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They R..........................................." THE MOST "       US Flag

Jack-in-the-Box

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by psykomo on May 1, 2012

Bat

 

Cook county $CAMMER$ may not BD >>>>>>>BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They R..........................................." THE MOST "       US Flag

Jack-in-the-Box

If Shakespeare were alive today he would be writing "To scam or not to scam....that is the question"  Cussing Face

We need to be more grateful for our precious resource of scammers for the following reasons:   Leaving

 

1. Keeps our law enforcement people gainfully employed.  Patriot

2. Sets a good example for the rest of us, of what things we shouldn't be doing in our spare time.  No No

3. Provides us with free entertainment in the form of these great media stories.  Lurking

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on May 1, 2012

Must be different depending on the state. My NH lottery website says you have until 9:50 PM to play PB. Just visted the NY lottery website

where it indicated you have only to 9:00 PM.

You may be right McG...i just remember i was talking to my friend about LP and numbers i knew %100 were gonna come out...and he got all enthusiastic....so we hopped in my car and drove up to the local BP...and ran inside and the guy was like, "times over"...and i was like" You are fu-king kidding me right?"   And he was like "no'...

and then the wise ass clerk was like in his indian accent..."you should make a chart and put it on your wall"...i just looked at him and didn't say nothing...(its a good idea though, i have a lot of lottery crap on my walls...winning tickets too)

" I said cmon its f-cking saturday night"...It could have been 9.  Thats fifty bucks that could have been spent and a potential millon dollar disaster for me.  Thats when i decided to never play powerball until, it proves it can get a jackpot like the MEGA Millions...which is tonite btw.

NYL  doesn't know its a--  from its elbow...Seems like a total marketing disaster to me. Thud

JonnyBgood07's avatarJonnyBgood07

Truly a krotchwaffle....can't believe someone thought they could pull that off.She should be publicly flogged  lol

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