A 67 year old lottery winner was left empty handed after taking his ticket into a store to be checked, the ticket was found to be worth $1 million which proved to be too tempting for 25 year old shop worker Pankaj Joshi who promptly told the man it was not a winner and claimed the money himself.

Joshi picked up a cool $750,000 after taxes and disappeared, he is thought to have fled back to his native Nepal, he had worked at the store for 5 years and had been a student at the University of Texas, but it seeems the lure of money got the better of him.

The situation came to light when the store manager heard the shop had sold the winning ticket and told police that Joshi never played the lottery, money was found in various bank accounts in Joshi’s name, a warrant is now out for his arrest and he could face up to 20 years in prison.

It is not clear yet what will happen to the recovered money, the person claiming the win is hoping that the money will be returned once it is proven in court to be his.

Have you ever walked into a shop and asked for your lottery tickets to be checked only to be told you haven’t won by the shop worker and you just turn around and walk out?  I wonder how many shop keepers would be tempted to do the same as Joshi when faced with a big winner!.

Another good reason to play online!