Dateline NBC Investigation Focuses on $1 Million Texas Lottery Fraud Case

Dateline NBC Investigation Focuses on $1 Million Texas Lottery Fraud Case

HowryBreen lawyer Sean Breen vows to continue fight to recoup victim's stolen jackpot

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A Dateline NBC investigation into widespread fraud and theft in state lotteries across the country includes the story of a Texas man whose winning $1 million jackpot was stolen by an agent of the Texas Lottery.

The story by Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen highlights the plight of Willis Willis, a retired maintenance worker and undisputed winner of a $1 million Mega Millions ticket that he purchased at a Grand Prairie, Texas, convenience store in May 2009. A Texas Lottery agent working as a store clerk deceived Mr. Willis and stole his winning ticket before cashing it and fleeing to his native Nepal, according to court records and the official findings of Texas Lottery investigators.

Despite those findings, Texas Lottery officials maintain that the indicted store clerk, Pankaj Joshi, is the rightful owner of the stolen money, and so far have refused to compensate Mr. Willis for his winning ticket.

Attorneys Randy Howry and Sean Breen from the Austin, Texas-based law firm HowryBreen are representing Mr. Willis in an attempt to collect the stolen money and improve the Texas Lottery's accountability for all players. With assistance from the Travis County District Attorney's office, the firm has helped Mr. Willis recover a portion of his stolen winnings, and efforts to collect the full amount are ongoing.

Mr. Willis' case was one of several highlighted by the Dateline NBC examination of lottery fraud nationwide.

"We're pleased that Dateline NBC has looked into the dishonorable way that Texas Lottery has treated Mr. Willis and the cavalier attitude they have toward safeguarding lottery players from fraud," says Mr. Breen. "Now a national TV audience knows that the system in Texas and in other states is overdue for improvement."

Based in Austin, HowryBreen, LLP, is a trial law firm that represents businesses and individuals in civil litigation throughout Texas and across the country. More information is available at http://www.howrybreen.com/.

For more information on the case involving Mr. Willis, please contact Mark Annick at 214-559-4630, (cell)214-213-1754, or mark@androvett.com.

Source: HowryBreen, LLP

CONTACT: Mark Annick, +1-214-559-4630, cell, +1-214-213-1754,
mark@androvett.com, for HowryBreen, LLP

Web Site: http://www.howrybreen.com/

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