A Houston woman was arrested for stealing her cousin’s lottery winnings after he asked her to cash in his ticket.
Iris Amador Argueta, 32, is accusing of stealing over $500,000 from her cousin who gave her the $1 million lottery ticket to cash.
The Long Island man wanted to remain anonymous, authorities said.
The incident began when the victim purchased a New York State Lottery $5 Hold ‘Em Poker scratch-off ticket at a 7-Eleven in Glen Cove last October.
He scratched the ticket to reveal the $1 million cash prize. However, he didn’t want to identify himself, authorities said.
So, he asked Argueta to cash the ticket for him in exchange for $50,000, and she agreed.
Instead of cashing the ticket and turning over the funds, Argueta took $537,440 in a lump sum, and gave the victim $13,436.
In a bogus letter from the state lottery commission, she wrote that the state took the rest of the money in taxes.
When the victim accused her of robbing him, she threatened him with legal action, authorities said.
Nassau County officials froze Argueta’s bank account and recovered more than half the stolen money.
Argueta is charged with grand larceny and faces 15 years in prison.
She was also charged with forging lottery paperwork.
