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Brothers at family-owned Syracuse convenience store charged in 6-year plot to fleece customer of $5 million winning lottery ticket
Prosecutors said the two ripped off a down-on-his-luck customer who bought the ticket, telling him he it was worth $5,000, not $5 million. 'I hope he gets his dough,' DA says about actual winner.
By Philip Caulfield / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 3:17 PM
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Onondaga County District Attorney's Office
Nayel Ashkar, 36, and Andy Ashkar, 34, are facing felony charges after the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office accused them of scamming a lottery ticket winner out of millions of dollars.
Two brothers in upstate New York scammed a convenience store customer out of a $5 million lottery ticket and then tried to cash the winnings in themselves six years later, right before it expired, prosecutors charged.
Andy Ashkar, 34, claimed he bought the winning ticket in 2006 at his family’s Syracuse convenience store, but waited until last March to claim his prize because, among other reasons, gambling is against his religion, his lawyer told The Syracuse Post-Standard.
Ashkar and his brother, Nayel, 36, were also worried about the attention the win would bring to their store, the Green Ale Market.
"They happened to be very lucky," their lawyer, Robert Durr, told the newspaper.
"They happened to be the ones realizing the dream that day."
But prosecutors said the two ripped off a down-on-his-luck customer who bought the ticket, telling him he won $5,000 and not $5 million.
Andy, who was behind the counter that day, then offered the man $4,000 on the spot, saying the man could avoid taxes and other hassles if he accepted the money, prosecutors said.
The man, identified as a 49-year-old married father of two, took the money and walked away, prosecutors said.
He always suspected that he’d been had, prosecutors said.
"He has been tormented for the last six years by what ifs, should haves and could haves," Onondaga County Assistant District Attorney Beth Van Doren told the newspaper.
"His life is about to change for the better."
Lotto officials smelled a rat when the brothers came forward to split the winnings last March.
When asked why they waited so long, Andy said he was engaged when he bought the winning ticket and didn’t want the money to affect his wedding plans, lottery officials said.
The brothers also asked if they could take a smaller payout in exchange for skipping the press conference that typically accompanies big jackpots.
The lottery reported their suspicions to the district attorney, prosecutors said.
Last month, in an effort to ferret out the real winner, the lottery told a local newspaper the “remarkable” tale of two brothers cashing in a winning ticket after six years.
Syracuse eventually tracked the real buyer down, The Post-Standard reported.
According to The Post-Standard, the real winner is named Robert Miles.
According to The Associated Press, he is a city buildings maintenance worker.
Because of the lottery’s installment payout system, he could receive $1.5 million right away — six years worth of winnings.
“I hope the guy can get his dough,” District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told The AP.
Andy and Nayel Ashkar were arraigned on charges of second-degree attempted grand larceny and fourth-degree conspiracy on Wednesday and were being held on $50,000 bond.
Andy was also charged with first-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...#ixzz2CJp3g8XR
Prosecutors said the two ripped off a down-on-his-luck customer who bought the ticket, telling him he it was worth $5,000, not $5 million. 'I hope he gets his dough,' DA says about actual winner.
By Philip Caulfield / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 3:17 PM
#static{height:38px;} #static td{vertical-align:top !important;} #static td td{vertical-align:middle !important;} #static .fb-like iframe{width:450px !important;} #static:after{content:".";display:block;height:0;c lear:both;visibility:hidden;}
Onondaga County District Attorney's OfficeNayel Ashkar, 36, and Andy Ashkar, 34, are facing felony charges after the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office accused them of scamming a lottery ticket winner out of millions of dollars.
Two brothers in upstate New York scammed a convenience store customer out of a $5 million lottery ticket and then tried to cash the winnings in themselves six years later, right before it expired, prosecutors charged.
Andy Ashkar, 34, claimed he bought the winning ticket in 2006 at his family’s Syracuse convenience store, but waited until last March to claim his prize because, among other reasons, gambling is against his religion, his lawyer told The Syracuse Post-Standard.
Ashkar and his brother, Nayel, 36, were also worried about the attention the win would bring to their store, the Green Ale Market.
"They happened to be very lucky," their lawyer, Robert Durr, told the newspaper.
"They happened to be the ones realizing the dream that day."
But prosecutors said the two ripped off a down-on-his-luck customer who bought the ticket, telling him he won $5,000 and not $5 million.
Andy, who was behind the counter that day, then offered the man $4,000 on the spot, saying the man could avoid taxes and other hassles if he accepted the money, prosecutors said.
The man, identified as a 49-year-old married father of two, took the money and walked away, prosecutors said.
He always suspected that he’d been had, prosecutors said.
"He has been tormented for the last six years by what ifs, should haves and could haves," Onondaga County Assistant District Attorney Beth Van Doren told the newspaper.
"His life is about to change for the better."
Lotto officials smelled a rat when the brothers came forward to split the winnings last March.
When asked why they waited so long, Andy said he was engaged when he bought the winning ticket and didn’t want the money to affect his wedding plans, lottery officials said.
The brothers also asked if they could take a smaller payout in exchange for skipping the press conference that typically accompanies big jackpots.
The lottery reported their suspicions to the district attorney, prosecutors said.
Last month, in an effort to ferret out the real winner, the lottery told a local newspaper the “remarkable” tale of two brothers cashing in a winning ticket after six years.
Syracuse eventually tracked the real buyer down, The Post-Standard reported.
According to The Post-Standard, the real winner is named Robert Miles.
According to The Associated Press, he is a city buildings maintenance worker.
Because of the lottery’s installment payout system, he could receive $1.5 million right away — six years worth of winnings.
“I hope the guy can get his dough,” District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told The AP.
Andy and Nayel Ashkar were arraigned on charges of second-degree attempted grand larceny and fourth-degree conspiracy on Wednesday and were being held on $50,000 bond.
Andy was also charged with first-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...#ixzz2CJp3g8XR
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