When good and bad luck intersect:

Huge Winner

connected to two losers

Winner: anonymous: had money stolen by attorney Kurland who handled her win

Loser: Patel: tax evasion many years prior to the big ticket sold/caught (probably caught the eye of IRS once he got $ as his store sold the winning ticket)

Loser: Kurland: money laundering of many lotto winners/stealing from them/including this anonymous winner money/caught

South Carolina store owner who sold $1.5 billion Mega Millions ticket is arrested

Mar 15, 2021, 4:11 pm

Retailer re-enters the spotlight after skirting thousands in tax evasion

By Kate Northrop

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) announced on Saturday that the store owner who sold the winning ticket for the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in 2018 has been arrested and charged with five counts of tax evasion.

Chirag Jayanti Patel, 49, was found to have underreported $2.04 million in sales while operating KCP, Inc. under the KC Mart convenience store business in Greenville County.

According to warrants, the offense was reportedly committed each year between 2013 through 2017, earning him five counts of tax evasion for evading a grand total of $123,044 in Sales Tax.

At the time of the win in 2018, the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot was the second-largest jackpot the world had ever seen was and the largest amount ever awarded to a single player. The KC Mart on Lee Vaughn Road in Simpsonville sold the lone winning ticket to an anonymous woman visiting from out of town, who chose to collect her prize as a one-time lump sum payment of $877.78 million.

For selling the winning ticket, the store received a $50,000 bonus check from the South Carolina Lottery. While the world waited for the winner to step forward, Patel remarked that business picked up since the glare of international spotlight shone on his store.

The anonymous winner was represented by New York attorney Jason Kurland, who had been hired by other big jackpot winners to help manage their prizes. Last year, he was accused of robbing his clients of millions and was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

If Patel is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and potentially up to $50,000 in fines, plus the cost of prosecution.

"The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws," the SCDOR stated in a press release. "By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply."

Patel is currently being held in the Greenville County Detention Center pending a bond hearing, the SCDOR reports.

https://www.lotterypost.com/news/336017

https://www.lotterypost.com/

>>13251546

old news

but related to the arrest of the store owner for tax evasion

https://www.lotterypost.com/

'Feds Allege ‘Lottery Lawyer’ Stole Millions from $1.5B Mega Millions Jackpot Winner

Posted on: August 21, 2020, 09:02h. Last updated on: August 21, 2020, 10:38

Federal authorities say Jason Kurland, 46, the so-called “Lottery Lawyer,” allegedly swindled more than $70 million from a woman who won the record $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in October of 2018.

Jason Kurland describes himself as the “Lottery Lawyer.” But feds in New York allege he’s nothing more than a scam artist. (Image: Jason Kurland)

The woman chose to remain anonymous, which is permitted under lottery regulations in South Carolina. She kept the lottery world on edge by waiting several months to claim her prize, which she did in March of 2019.

It appears she did what many financial advisors recommend: consult with a lawyer and/or wealth management professional before choosing a prize payment option.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York says Kurland, along with three co-conspirators, allegedly cost the Mega Millions winner tens of millions of dollars. The named co-conspirators are Christopher Chierchio, 52, Frangesco Russo, 38, and Francis Smookler, 45. All are New York residents, as is Kurland.

On his website, which has since been taken down, Kurland advises lottery winners to keep their news to themselves and talk to a professional.

“[Initial decisions] could end up costing or saving you and your family millions upon millions of dollars,” Kurland declared

Multiple Victims

Federal prosecutors allege Kurland and his coconspirators took advantage of at least three lottery winners. Along with the $1.5 billion Mega Millions winner, authorities claim another won a $245 million Powerball jackpot, and a third won a $150 million jackpot.

Each victim paid Kurland hundreds of thousands of dollars to advise them on how to safely invest their money, the DOJ says. After initially living up to his end of the deal and gaining each victim’s trust, prosecutors allege Kurland then steered his clients to invest in various businesses controlled by the three coconspirators, with Kurland receiving large kickbacks in return.

The Justice Department believes Kurland swindled the three winners out of a combined $107 million.

“Lottery winners can’t believe their luck when they win millions of dollars, and the men we arrested this morning allegedly used that euphoric feeling to their advantage,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney. “The FBI New York discovered how these victims were persuaded to put large chunks of their cash into investments that benefited the defendants.”

The South Carolina woman took the lump-sum payment option of $877.8 million, the largest jackpot payout to a single winner in US history. She has donated much of its to various South Carolina charities and organizations.

Kurland has been released on $1 million bond. He’s charged with 21 counts, including six counts of wire fraud, eight counts of honest services wire fraud, and money laundering.

Kurland Denies Allegations

Kurland flaunts that he has assisted lottery winners who have won more than $3 billion during his 20-year legal career.

Kurland’s attorney representing him on the charges says it’s been an “unblemished legal career.” The law firm of Rivkin Radler, where Kurland is a partner,. denied any knowledge of his alleged scheme. Kurland has since been removed from the legal firm’s website.

On his “Lottery Lawyer” website, Kurland says winners should call him first, even before contacting the state’s lottery commission. “I can help secure your wealth for generations,” he stated.

>>13251558

>>13251546

BUT THE IRS has taken how much?????

>The Justice Department believes Kurland swindled the three winners out of a combined $107 million.