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Frances Micklow / The Star-Ledger
A jury ruled unanimously that Americo Lopes must pay his coworkers $20 million from his $24 million lottery winnings in Elizabeth, N.J., on Tuesday.
A jury has ruled that a New Jersey man will have to share a portion of his jackpot winnings from a 2009 lottery ticket with his former co-workers: $20 million to be exact.
Former construction worker Americo Lopes, 52, won $38.5 million ($24 million after taxes) on Nov. 10, 2009. He claimed to his colleagues that he bought 12 tickets, including the jackpot winner, for himself, as a side bet in addition to the lottery pool tickets he purchased for the group. But his co-workers said he used their money to hit the winning numbers.
On Wednesday, a Union County, N.J., jury sided with the plaintiffs, awarding the five other men in his pool about $4 million each, reported NJ.com.
"They robbed me," Lopes said in Portuguese outside the courthouse, reported NJ.com.
Read more about the lottery winners on NJ.com
The men all worked with Lopes at Berto Construction Inc. in Elizabeth, N.J. when they began playing the lottery together in 2007, according to NJ.com.
Lopes hid the news at the time that one of their tickets ended up being one of two winners of a $77 million total Mega Millions jackpot, reported The New York Post. His lawyer presented copious notes to the courtroom in an attempt to prove that the numbers drawn for the winning ticket were his own, not a combination the group had come up with.
But the jury ruled unanimously in favor of the plainiffs, said NJ.com. After the verdict, Lopes' ex-colleagues hugged each other.
"I have a lot to do," Carlos Fernandez, one of the five plaintiffs, said, according to NJ.com. "My granddaughter was born yesterday. I have to buy her a present she'll remember."
Frances Micklow / The Star-Ledger
Plaintiffs Carlos Fernandes, right, Candido Silva Jr. shake hands after the jury ruled unanimously that Americo Lopes must pay them, his coworkers, $20 million from his $24 million lottery winnings in Elizabeth, NJ, on March 14.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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Check the they're status as citizens and if they are here legally. If not give the money to the state to blow on stupid ass wasteful programs.
@dumberthanu11 maybe we should give the money to you, so can express yourself using proper grammar and spelling. Please go back to school and learn to construct a proper sentence. Wise Guy!!!!
"Check the they're status" is awesome English coming from someone with the name "smarterthanu11"
Is it fun to troll the internet to pick on the less fortunate?
If he gave them copies of all the tickets he brought for the pool then he would of been in the clear to collect it all alone with his side tickets..but he didn't supply all his co-workers with copies of the tickets for the pool before the drawing!
What he should of done..since he is a low scum SOB..he should of gave the winning ticket to another family member and let them claim the prize..IDIOT!
Just another case of greed in America. Greed is never good and nothing ever good is a result of it !
Mike, how is someone getting 4 million dollars less fortunate?
4 mil each? Is that before or after the lawyers' fees? Was it even worth the years of court battle?
Fyi, there's no restriction on a foreigner - legal or not - winning a lottery in the U.S.
And that's a State regulated industry, not Federal. So you only have your state to blame if an illegal wins the lottery, because they will get to keep the winnings, even if they are deported. Oh, and only have to pay a flat 30% Federal income tax; less if we have a tax treaty with their home country.
I'm just hoping that the incredibly ignorant first post here isn't a clue on how the other posts are.
We only used random picks and everyone got a copy of all tickets for the pool. If the person that made the trip to buy the tickets (not legal in this state), and they bought more for themselves, so be it. There was never a question. When we did win something, the tax implications were considered and deducted from the payout.
its funny how, when people cant find anything legit to pick on, they start critiquing your spelling... just because he cant spell well, doesn't make the comment any more or less relevant, in fact, by showing you have nothing else to critique besides his spelling really does nothing more than prove his point is valid.
I wouldn't trust that guy any further than I could throw him. I bet most of the money is already spent and the coworkers will only get a fraction of what they're owed. Greedy slug.
Uh, I don't think so lennox, and the fact that you missed the point puts you in his league. Anyone with half a brain left that idiotic comment unanswered, and not worthy of a response. The fact that his name is smarterthanu11 and his grammar is so poor is hilarious, and worthy of a comment. The rest is just too dumb to acknowledge for anyone with common sense.
You should be drug tested, you write like a meth head.
Meaning the programs for noncitizens?
My problem is smarterthanu is a racist and serves as an example of the undue hatred towards immigrants. There is nothing in the article to indicate that this man is here illegally. It is no different than seeing a black man in a nice car and saying they should make sure he didn't steal it. There are LEGAL immigrants in this country, but people now tend to assume anyone who even looks vaguely Mexican must be here illegally.
Mike277 - "he is a low scum SOB..he should of gave the winning ticket to another family member and let them claim the prize..IDIOT"
Had a laugh. On a lighter note...
In effect, you are becoming a consultant to a low scum SOB. Attorney by any chance!
People who criticize 'wasteful programs' are use the ones who complain 'where's my food stamps?' the loudest when the pendulum swings the other way.
.
Mike277 -
He did not do that most likely because his family is probably a lot like him, can't be trusted....they would screw him over.
The hatred isn't directed at immigrants, who come here legally, it is against ILLEGAL ALIENS, who come here ILLEGALLY.
Illegal aliens like the scum sucking worthless piece of sh*t who stole my SSN and was using it so that he could work here. The worthless f*ck who left ME, a LEGAL CITIZEN WHO WAS BORN HERE, with the task of proving who I was, at my time and expense, as a kid, so that I could work here.
But that just goes to show what is wrong with the liberal crowd these days. They think that some walking talking pile of garbage has the right to impose on me, and cause me hardships, just so long as said garbage pile from another country WHO DOES NOT BELONG HERE can 'have a better life'. Not to mention all the anti American garbage (aka LaRaza) that they bring in with them.
The hatred IS MOST DEFINITELY DUE, Tazier. Stop acting like the illegals who come here don't harm real Americans.
They can't be IA Mexicans. IA Mexicans don't take high paying construction jobs, they only take the ones Americans won't do. Right?
Hey Stonedog I always wondered if someone used your SSN to work, does that income get credited to your account when they figure out the amount you recieve from social security? Maybe we should all provide an IA with our numbers so we "Less than one percenters" can cash in on the facist movement too.
Why is it that whenever someone has a non Anglo-Saxon name ppl automatically start questioning their citizenship and then demanding deportation. It's such an ignorant response and very racist to automatically think that the group of them are illegal and undeserving of the money because they're most likely draining the social system and taking the jobs that "real Americans"...based solely on their heritage.
Nothing like good old American greed. I wonder how much the lawyers got.
Probably about as much as the government.
What makes you think he's AMERICAN?
Well maybe your correct..too much GREED in this country!
It is a case of Portuguese-American greed. The greedy and selfish come in all stripes.
LIBERAL elite Democrats have a problem with the average American fighting back on a unjust LIBERAL immigration policy overseen by a soon to be ex-president !!! VOTE Republican in 2012 !!!
Not with thinking like that Johnny. You are a great sponsor for the Democratic party.
You mean the unjust policy in which the Obama administration is deporting MORE illegals than any administration before it? THAT unjust liberal immigration policy?
When I was in a lottery pool the pool tickets were always photocopied with everyone in the pool given a copy to avoid situations just like this. If he failed to make the others aware of the numbers on the pool tickets prior to the drawing then he deserves to be forced to share the winnings based on his own stupidity alone.
After a trial . . . lawyers probably got 40% plus costs (depositions, etc.). But you have to remember, the lawyers probably took it as a contengency case and if they didn't win the lawyers would be out all of the money they put out for the case plus their time. People don't understand that in cases like this the lawyers are working for free until they actually get the check from the losing side which could take years. They take a gamble and the other side will try to out spend the contingency lawyers because they have a client that already has money.
We used to do this where I worked, but the buyer had the sense to scan the tickets he bought with co-workers money and forward it to them. Then he could buy as many as he wanted with his own money and have proof that it wasn't co-workers money.
We used to buy tickets where I worked. Everybody always got a copy of the tickets but one guy was always pointing a finger and demanding a copy of the numbers even though a copy was ALWAYS provided. After about a year of being accused like this Brian missed a day and didn't get a copy. The next morning I stopped at the mini mart and bought a ticket with the previous days winning numbers and slipped it into the pile of tickets. When Brain came in bitching and cursing I told him I was sick of him insinuating that I was going to rip him off and told him I didn't even get a chance to check them my self and threw the tickets at him and told him to check them himself. About ten minutes later I could hear somebody celebrating... Really whooping it up. He called his Mom and everybody he knew. It took him until break time to start wondering why everyone else wasn't as deleriously happy as he was, just sitting there grinning at him. "Did you check the dated on the tickets?" "What do you mean" "Go ahead check the dates on the tickets." He went from the top of the world to perplexed to disbelief to depressed by the time it was time to punch out and go home he looked like a beaten man.Like he was ready to cry. If it hadn't been for him practically calling me a thief for the last year I would have felt pretty bad about what I did to Brian but I decided to be big about it anyway and wrapped my arm around him at the time clock gave him a pat on the back and said "Look at the bright side Brian. At least you know what it feels like to be a millionaire." That was the saddest most hateful look I ever got in my life.
fudgefactor, mr. lopes is not American, he is portuguese !
@Sandra
The article doesn't say Mr. Lopes is not an American; it doesn't even say he's Portuguese. It says that Lopes said They robbed me in Portuguese. Just because he spoke in Portuguese doesn't mean he isn't an American. Some Americans are multilingual, you know.
Excuse me, I am Portuguese and I AM AN AMERICAN. I did not say I was a Portuguese American. I was born here therefore I am an American and Portuguese is my nationality and yes there are Portuguese-speaking Americans who were born here.
My great-grand-parents immigrated from Canada (St Lawrence River wetbacks) and I speak both spanish and portugese. What's the issue?
Is it just me or does he look a lot like Sadam?
@ Mario 69 -- the issue is that there are people who just need to hate others based on stupidity and bigotry. Even if they did check out the facts their lack of reading comprehension skills would still allow them to support their bigotry and hatred of anything 'not them'. They hate everyone that is different, just because they are different. That includes race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation and even worker beliefs like Unionism. Ignorant, unfounded, unsupported hatred and bigotry just because they're too small to accept that other people are indeed people deserving of respect despite differences in opinion or birth circumstances
To me he looks more like Joseph Stalin.
Hey Phillip, is UNIONISM anything like socialism or maybe communism? See I'm just one of those redneck , unsophisticated , not college educated people that are going to vote that socialist president OBAMA out of office in 2012 !!! Love it !
Don't worry Johnny, you've made it abundantly clear you have no understanding of socialism, communism, or unionism. Perhaps instead of being scared of college, you might want to put a little time and effort into yourself.
You deserve it.
Brad-4210598.. that's true man. Holy cow now that you say it I can see it. Put him in a uniform and dam we got us a Stalin movie.
Freddie I'm not affraid of anything except losing the America that we all know and love because a bunch of LIBERAL DEMOCRATS can fool a whole lot of people that they need this OBAMANATION in office for 4 more years. But that ain't gonna happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN IN 2012 !
Years from now history will show that Obama is the best thing to happen to America since Bill Clinton. If you remember, at the time, no one gave Clinton much respect (Monica, etc), but we now know that under his watch the country grew prosperous and and the ripples of a strong economy were felt across the globe, raising standards everywhere.
selfish piece of S#%t
Remind me that if I ever get into a lottery pool with anyone else, I will have someone else hold those tickets, and keep my own for myself.
That is the key.
When we all get together on numbers, we put in the money, then someone purchases the tickets. They are brought back to the group and copied with everyone getting a copy of ALL the tickets BEFORE the drawings. Then if the purchaser bought more for himself, they are his and not any of the rest of our business.
We don't keep the numbers secret until after the drawing!! Who would think that is fair other than the guy that won. This is justice for the people that trusted him to buy the tickets as a group.
On the rare occasion that my office does a lottery pool, we all get copies of the tickets... And if you want to get some separately, do it on a different day or something.
Delfairchild, That is the only way to do a pool.
The problem with money is it's a sure way too lose friends ...
If a person buys their own tickets, then why buy more in a pool? I have seen it lead to hard feelings before this case.
This is why our company forbids lottery pooling with co-workers (at least as a departmental wager vs. private). We used to play it, then they told us it's against policy. I kind of agree.
If you get down to it the REAL reason they discourage lottery pooling is that if a group of people hit it then they have alot more jobs to fill the next day.
Ted's right... imagine a small company having their entire shipping department walk out on the same day. It would put many companies right out of business.
Not to mention that a lottery pool does waste some company time. We had one where I used to work and the photocopies were made on company equipment, during work hours. The copies were passed out during work hours. Those of us who were in the pool would sit there and gawk at the numbers for a few minutes and daydream about winning. This particular pool took place twice a week.
I can see why employers frown on it.
Just my opinion. Companies are not afraid of a mass exodus, the odds are too large. They are afraid of problems with folks cheating others, and causing discord. Some people would keep $50 and claim that they bought tickets. Same with football pools--some folks get the money and rig the numbers to give them the "good" numbers.
I have seen it happen!
It disturbs me that he still beleives he owns the whole jackpot and he was ROBBED!!!!! Next time, send one of your buddies to play and then play your own numbers. Don't try to play the I bought ours and then bought mine, at the same place, same time, and probably with the same money!
Maybe the companies should re-examine their hiring practices. People who waste money on lotto tickets can't be all the bright.
"Maybe the companies should re-examine their hiring practices. People who waste money on lotto tickets can't be all the bright."
It is called "fun"! Exclude any who invest in the stock market? Correct? Same thing---gambling!
No spike it is a tax for people that failed math.
No, Dave. It is gambling. Wash it, rinse it, run it through the blender---it is gambling.
Ted...no kidding. But our boss told us that we could only participate with the proviso that IF we won, we find our replacement before we all leave on our world cruises. Oh yeah sure.
What strikes as strange is the fact that normally, copies of the numbers are given to all who are playing. It would have been good for him to do that if he didn't already so that he could say for certainty that he purchased the ticket separately.
But on the real Janine, I would have handed the ticket to my mother and said hey momma, take this million dollar winner down to the lotto headquarters for me please. But oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
I thought so too. But they were construction workers not at an office.. I can tell you if he was buying my ticket I would have headed to kinkos
And the guy apparently can't even speak English?? Like posted above, is he even a legal resident of the US? Were any of his other co-workers, or are they all illegal construction workers?
Ever heard of a bilingual person? You know you can actually be born in the US, have gone to school in the US and yet still want to express yourself in a different language.
We also have many LEGAL immigrants where English is there second language who choose to express themselves in their native language.
Kjosee
Kinkos? Really? Are they even in business any more? I thought FedEx bought them in 2003. Either way, maybe you should save your money and buy yourself a copier. I hear you can get them for less than 50.00. This way you won't have to go to a copy store to copy your non winning lotto tickets.
you really are a nasty bastard.
You would have lost your friends, but I think you don't care about that, or the fact your mother would have to be also be a crook.
I really doubt the lying rat has the 20 million to give back-Why didn't the lottery commission give him the entire amount of money.
Those guys were stupid to trust him in the first place they all are a bunch of losers in my book.
he won 2009 He is prolly almost out of money 3 years later...
Any lottery that pays out a cash payment always awards a much smaller amount, especially after taxes, because the "value" of the winnings is based on a normally twenty year monthly payout.
I'm sure when the lawsuit was filed (probably in 2009), the lawyers representing the co-workers asked the judge to require Mr. Lopes to tender the money into the registry of the court or it was deposited into an account that noone could touch so Mr. Lopes couldn't spend it all before the lawsuit was decided.
In these cases, and unfortunately it has happened before, the money is frozen pending trial. he couldn't spend it.
Well, it turns out he was able to spend some of it before the judge could freeze it, as reported in local news. He is facing possible jail time if he doesn't come up with the money spent.
Sounds like a greedy guy who's lucky to even be in this country....I am sure he can make do on the 18.5 million that's left over just fine. What a tool! I agree with other posters, check all of their immigrant status and ship them back if they are illegal.
He will only have the 4 million left over which is equal to the rest of the players.
No kidding, Daryl. they see someone who looks latino and the tops of their hate-filled little heads fly off.
Actually, pedestrian-in-SF, when people read: "they robbed me", Lopes said in PORTUGUESE....they suspect that at least he is not an American. Most Americans speak primarily English. The exception may be Puerto Ricans, and most of them are bi-lingual.
Ya! What he said!
Careful tossing around those racist generalizations there NB820-001.
"Eles mi robaram" is what he would have said in Portuguese and some of you ignant merkans should get a grip on your own language/ writing skills before crying about which language a person speaks.
So THEIR! Duh, or is it THERE? YOUR all too...
Or perhaps that would be YOU`RE all too as in you are?
Embarrassing.
2 + to = TOO :-)
Let`s not even get into new math....
And last I heard you needn`t be legal to gamble and win.
And while you`re at it, go brush your TOOTH!
Good one.
I used to run lottery pools at my workplace ........I always made copies of the tickets along with the names of the workers who were in the drawing and I posted it on the company bulletin board to avoid any such controversy........That way when I purchased any tickets on my own or for family members there there wouldn't be an incident like that whic occured with this gentleman..........He may very well feel that he was robbed if he didn't make copies and give them to his co workers.........A hard lesson learned.
always make copies of all the tickets and give them to all who play, then this wouldn't be necessary!
There were no copies of the tickets distributed or even asked for. One of the plantiffs stated that the six had a "mental agreement" to share any winnings.
So now, if you are a legimitate lottery winner, not only do you have to worry about the long lost relatives coming out of the woodwork with their hands out, the co-workers can make a "mental agreement" claim on your win too !
Never promise any one if you win in the lottery you will give anyone money.Because then they will be after you for money.And watch out for realtives you never knew you had.Or relatives that never knew you till you win.And you will have all kinds of new friends you never knew. It's all about greed.
Doesn't speak English? Maybe he should take his $4 million and move back to Portugal?
He could have been from Brazil, since they also speak Portuguese.
Rule #1. Don't teach logic to the illogical. Reeducation is important but you can't always win with that either. Go Portugal (and Brazil if you must)!
I agree with many of the posts here. When the tickets are bought, you distribute copies to everyone who bought-in. Then there are no questions.
QUOTE: "I agree with many of the posts here. When the tickets are bought, you distribute copies to everyone who bought-in. Then there are no questions"
It's a Solomon-like idea but I'll wager 'they' STILL would have taken him to court and the judge might have come to the same conclusion anyway. It's just that there's a LOT of money involved.
Crime didn't pay for Amerigo.
We had his brother where I used to work. If the football pool when over $200.00 bucks, his wife magically put in a very late entry and won. The week I won, he declared her the winner. I reminded him about the high cost of dental work and suddenly,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,my money arrived.
Best idea is not to go in on a group lottery purchase at all.
Ya got that right. ....anybody asks me to buy their tickets for them, I say, Uh! Uh! buy your own.
This just sounds fishey! But large sums of money tend to bring out the absolute worst in people. I mean reading different stories about inheritances or lottery winnings has killed life long friendships and has torn families apart. Money truely is the root of all evil!
Money is NOT the root of all evil. It is the LOVE OF MONEY that is the root of all evil.
Greed! - Just think how much happier he would have been had he shared the winnings with his coworkers from the start. He and his rich buddies and their families would share many years of fun times together. Instead they all hate him for cheating them and trying to take it all.
Absolutely, Maaad. In addition to that, because of his greed, they're also all sharing their winnings with the lawyers, who never even had to play the lottery to win it!
Right, now from his 4 mil cut, minus taxes, AND minus lawyer fees, he'll be back to work in a few years.
well said ItsaMaaadWorld.
I work for a shady, creepy, sneaky boss and he is always bringing up office pools when the mega million gets to a high amount. I decline every time. I can see him doing exactly what the guy in this story did. You can't trust people when it comes to money.
You can trust me ;)
That's what he says... Boss?
The ones who made off like a bandit are the &%@*^ lawyers.
Sounds like greed got the best of Americo Lopes in the beginning. Then it came back to bite him big time since he had to hire lawyers to defend his actions, then he loses the lawsuit and he's forced to forfeit 85% of the jackpot proceeds, plus he's got a hefty legal bill to pay out of his own pocket too. Talk about a double dose of karma. Ouch.
I play the lottery with my work team. There is a reason I always scan in the tickets & e-mail them to the group, so there is a record of the team's numbers. If you're going to do something like that, make sure to be smart about it.
america sucks yea coming to take all your money!!!!!!!!!!
what?
Come to America, win the lottery, screw your friends!
Glad of it! Rotten pig! He knows damn well he didn't pick all those winning numbers! I hope his money causes him hell!
Greedy Bastard!!!