Lottery owner sentenced for trying to claim 4.7 million euro win

After 13 years, a court in A Coruña, Spain, has sentenced a lottery ticket office owner to three and a half years in prison for fraud. Manuel Reija was found guilty of concealing a 4.7 million euro winning ticket and keeping it for himself.

The case dates back to July 2, 2012, when a customer visited Reija's office to check his lottery tickets. Reija, upon verifying the numbers, realized one ticket was a major winner but did not inform the customer. The court stated that Reija acted with the intention of financial gain, misleading the customer into believing there was no win, thus allowing him to seize the ticket and its prize.

Prosecutors had sought a six-year sentence, but the court imposed three and a half years. Crucial evidence came from the ticket verification device. Reija claimed he found the winning ticket on the counter after the customer left, but the court dismissed this, citing device records. These records indicated Reija checked the ticket in the customer's presence, proving he knew about the win from the start.

Reija's brother, Miguel Reija, who was also a former provincial lottery delegate, was acquitted. The court found no evidence that he was aware of his brother's illicit actions, rejecting the notion of a prior agreement between them. The ruling is not final and can be appealed to Spain's Supreme Court. The court did not order the immediate transfer of the winnings to the deceased winner's widow and daughter, stating the prize must first be formally included in the estate before distribution.