Court rules against Colorado man seeking full lottery prize

DENVER – A Colorado court has rejected a man’s claim he should be the sole recipient of a $4.8 million lottery prize.

The Denver Post reports the Colorado Court of Appeals says Amir Massihzadeh is only eligible for a third of the November 2005 jackpot.

The court’s ruling released Thursday says even though two other people had fraudulent tickets with the same number, the Boulder man was locked into a contract.

Massihzadeh accepted $568,990 after taxes, but did not know about the fraudulent tickets.

A criminal investigation 10 years later exposed a scheme to rig lotteries across state lines.

Massihzadeh’s attorneys argue he was not paid the correct prize, negating the state’s claim against liability.

The appeals court says the statute refers to the payment of “any prize,” which Massihzadeh received.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com