A man from Toulouse, France, who was the victim of a robbery earlier this month, has this week made an interesting offer to the perpetrators. Two homeless men broke into the victim’s car, stole his belongings, and subsequently purchased a €500,000 (USD$523K) winning scratch-off with his bank card.
However, the win has yet to be claimed. The victim, named in police documents as Jean-David E., has this week been on French radio. There, he offered to split the prize 50/50 with the robbers if they come forward in time to claim it. French Lottery scratch-offs have a 30-day expiration period, which is fast running out.
He asked the thieves to contact him, his lawyer, or Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), the country’s nationalized lottery and scratch-off provider, to sort out the deal.
“Those in possession of it don’t need to worry. Our proposal is simple: without my client’s money, they wouldn’t have won. Without them, my client wouldn’t have won. It’s only logical to share it,” said Jean-David’s lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, according to The Guardian newspaper.
The Winning Thieves
Jean-David was on an errand in the Toulouse city center earlier this month. When he returned to his parked car, he found the windows smashed and his things stolen.
Missing from the car was his backpack, containing credit cards and his identity documents. Jean-David drove home and contacted the police and his bank. The bank informed him that the thieves had spent around 50 euros at a store less than a mile from where his car had been parked.
The next day, Jean-David visited the store to find out if anyone had seen the thieves. There he found out that two men, presumed by the clerk to be homeless, had bought several scratch cards with his stolen card. One of them had won the $523,000 jackpot.
The pair had apparently tried to claim the massive win at the local store, only to be told they needed to visit the FDJ offices in Paris to claim such a large win. The two alleged robbers then reportedly left the store, shouting excitedly.
The store owner said they were so excited they left behind several things they purchased, saying they were immediately heading to Paris to claim the win. Three weeks later, that hasn’t happened.
The Share Offer
Jean-David says the thieves have no choice but to accept his offer if they want to claim the money. The ticket has been locked, so they can’t claim it themselves, and if they tried, they would be arrested.
Jean-David said he may use his half of the money to pay off his mortgage. The thieves have 10 days to approach him and take up his amnesty offer, or all parties get nothing.
“Unless they contact my lawyer, the ticket is unusable. So why not settle amicably and do fifty-fifty? For that amount of money, I’m ready to come to an agreement,” he told French media.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
