35-year-old Adul Saosongyang from California was arrested on Monday after stealing a lottery ticket worth $10m from his roommate. When Adul went to collect the winnings from lottery officials he was instead met with police. Saosongyang’s roommate, who has not been identified, went in to buy the $30 lottery ticket on Dec.20 at Lucky convenience store in Vacaville hoping for a winning ticket.
Luckily his ticket was in fact a winner and he shared the good news with Adul and his other roommate. At the time the winner thought he had won $10,000 and was excited just the same. The next morning, he went in to cash his winning ticket in only to be told by officials that his ticket was worth $0.
The man assumed his ticket was swapped out with a replacement by one of his roommates and went to the police to report it. Saosongyang traveled to Sacramento to claim his roommates winnings with the winning ticket, while there he was told the ticket was worth $10 million not $10,000.
The Lottery officials at the time were unaware of the stollen ticket and began the required steps and told Saosongyang to return in two weeks to get his earnings. During the background check process, they found out the ticket was in fact stolen.
Police and lottery officials watched footage from the gas station where the ticket was purchased, Saosongyang was seen buying the second ticket after finding out about his roommates winning ticket, then swapped it for a replacement while he was sleeping.
When Saosongyang returned on Jan.9 to pick up his money, he was arrested on suspicion of grand theft and taken to Sacramento county jail.Saosongyang could serve up to three years in prison.