California Lottery Sued by Mega Millions Winner Over Lost Second Ticket Claim

Faramarz Lahijani alleges he purchased both winning tickets for a $394 million jackpot but misplaced one, filing a lawsuit to claim the full prize.

Faramarz Lahijani, who claimed half of a $394 million Mega Millions jackpot in June, has filed a lawsuit for the other half, asserting he purchased both winning tickets.
Lahijani claims he has played the same numbers for 30 years, which were chosen by his children, and bought two identical tickets at a Chevron gas station in Encino, California.
The lawsuit was filed on December 6, just before the deadline to claim the second ticket's prize expired, as Lahijani alleges he lost the second ticket.
The California Lottery has stated it cannot comment on ongoing litigation to preserve the integrity of the process, while acknowledging the rarity of identical winning tickets from the same location.
The Chevron gas station where the tickets were sold earned a record retailer bonus of $1.975 million for selling both jackpot-winning tickets.