California’s courts have made the practical decision clear: without the physical Mega Millions ticket, a claimant cannot force the Lottery to pay. That ruling left half of a $394 million jackpot — $197.5 million — uncollected after one co‑winner presented their ticket and Faramarz Lahijani failed to produce a second ticket he says he bought.
Why possession, not testimony, decides large lottery claims
Both Mega Millions game rules and California law require possession of the actual ticket to claim a prize; the court enforced that rule. Judge Rolf M. Treu dismissed Lahijani’s suit after finding that a purchase claim and other circumstantial details cannot substitute for the physical ticket that the statute demands.
The suit was filed shortly before California’s one‑year claim deadline, which matters because an unresolved claim window can still allow the ticket to surface and be presented within the statutory period. Until then, the Lottery’s hands are tied: it legally pays whoever redeems the valid paper ticket.
How competing claims were handled and what the record shows
The record shows two separate winning tickets for the same draw were sold at a Chevron station in California — an unusual but verified occurrence. Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Becker confirmed both tickets were sold in separate transactions, and the Lottery awarded $197.5 million to the person who produced one ticket.
| Claimant | Claim | Evidence presented | Court outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faramarz Lahijani | Says he bought both winning tickets; lost one | No physical second ticket; testimony and circumstantial claims | Lawsuit dismissed — no entitlement without the ticket |
| Cheryl Wilson | Alleged she had the lost ticket and it was stolen | No ticket presented; allegations of theft not substantiated | Claim not recognized by court for lack of physical evidence |
| California Lottery | Paid the person who produced a winning ticket | Validated the presented ticket and transaction | Retained position that possession determines the payee |
How the money moved and where the unclaimed half will go
When two winning tickets exist for the same jackpot, the prize is divided by the number of valid tickets presented. After one ticket was redeemed, the Lottery paid out $197.5 million. The other $197.5 million remains unclaimed and — barring presentation of the missing ticket before the claim deadline — will be redirected to California public schools under state procedure for unclaimed lottery funds.
Retailer payments followed California’s bonus schedule: stores get 0.5% of a prize value up to $1 million per winning ticket. Because two tickets qualified, the Chevron station received nearly $2 million in retailer bonuses, the largest single‑retailer payout in California Lottery history, according to public filings and Lottery statements.
Practical checks for players and when to escalate or stop
If you hold a winning ticket, immediate steps reduce risk: sign the back, store the paper ticket in a secure place, and consider recording the ticket number and purchase details. These steps don’t replace the paper ticket in the eyes of the law, but they strengthen your position if a dispute arises and create a tighter timeline for recovery efforts.
If you lose a ticket, report it to the retailer and file a police report promptly; those actions create a documented trail but do not compel payment without the ticket. The next concrete checkpoint is whether the missing ticket surfaces before the one‑year claim deadline — if it does, the Lottery must honor it. If not, the unclaimed half will flow to public school funds and litigation is unlikely to change that outcome, as demonstrated by Judge Treu’s dismissal.
Short Q&A
Can testimony or circumstantial proof replace a physical ticket? No — both California law and Mega Millions rules require possession of the ticket to claim the prize.
What happens if the missing ticket reappears? If the ticket is presented and validated before the one‑year claim deadline, the holder can claim the remaining $197.5 million.
Where will unclaimed lottery money go? In California, unclaimed lottery funds are typically redirected to public education programs; in this instance the unclaimed half of the jackpot is slated for schools if the missing ticket is not presented.
