An illegal immigrant from Guatemala won a huge amount in the lottery in the USA, but, not knowing the laws, not only lost money, but also ended up in prison.
How tells Dailystar, an immigrant from Guatemala, Jose Antonio Cua-Toca, who lived in the US state of Georgia, was in complete shock after hitting the $ 750,000 jackpot. But there was a serious problem: he was an illegal immigrant.
His boss, Eric Cervantes, offered to cash out the winning ticket, promising to return the money. But… appropriated them. Enraged, José sued his employer for claiming the ticket was his. However, Cervantes told the police that the illegal had threatened to kill him, his wife and their children if he did not hand over the money.
Jose was thrown into prison, but he continued to insist on his version. Finally, they agreed in court to establish the rightful owner of a large sum. Luckily, José garnered public support and won the case. He received a prize of $500,000 after taxes were deducted from the lottery amount. The Guatemalan also returned $200,000 in attorney fees and another $25,000 in punitive damages.
After the trial, representatives of the Georgia lottery confirmed that winners do not need to prove immigration status when it comes to claiming prizes. If José had known this, he would have been able to avoid this whole nightmare.
Pictured is migrant boss Eric Cervantes, who tried to steal José Antonio Cua-Toca’s winnings.
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