A man will split a €500,000 lottery prize with thieves who used his stolen credit card to buy the winning ticket.
Jean-David E is from Toulouse, France. He told RTL radio about his offer. He wants to make a deal instead of losing everything. He said they won because of him.
He bought no ticket without them. So he wants to share the winnings. He is 40 years old. No one claimed the ticket yet. The lottery operator blocked the winnings, which is called Française des Jeux (FDJ).
His backpack was stolen February 3rd. It held his wallet and credit card. The car was parked in Toulouse’s center. He blocked the card with his bank, but €52.50 was spent already. It went to Tabac des Thermes, a shop.
He asked the shop about suspicious events. His lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, spoke to the BBC. Two men bought cigarettes and cards. They seemed homeless. They told the cashier they won big and planned to claim at FDJ.
But the cashier grew suspicious of them. They failed to enter a card’s PIN. He contacted the police after talking to the cashier. Police may seize the winnings and arrest them. They have 30 days to claim the prize.
Debuisson said his client is happy. He does not want to prosecute the thieves. It is a chance for them to rebuild. Mr. E said the ticket is unusable now. They must contact his lawyer. He suggested a fifty-fifty split. He wants to pay his mortgage.