Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said an Edison man was arrested today and charged with the theft of a million dollar lottery ticket from its rightful owner.
Police today arrested Rayhan Sorwar, 36, of Edison, on one count of theft of moveable property over $75,000 in the second degree, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the first degree, and one count of attempted money laundering in the first degree.
During the investigation it was determined that on September 6, 2017, a customer presented a winning scratch-off lottery ticket to Sorwar, who was a convenience store employee at a store in Edison.
Instead of presenting the customer with a claim form for her $1,000,000 prize, Sorwar took the ticket, and gave her two other tickets stating that the two tickets were her winnings.
When Sorwar’s wife tried to cash the winning ticket at the Lottery Commission in Lawrenceville on September 19, 2017, officials became suspicious, and an investigation ensued which resulted in Sorwar’s arrest.
The rightful owner of the lottery ticket has been paid her winnings.
“This office consistently investigates and prosecutes theft, corruption, and money laundering cases,” Prosecutor Carey said. “We will continue to work with our partners to target such behavior and seek restitution for our victims.”
The defendant has been arrested, processed and released pending his court appearance in New Brunswick Superior Court on February 15, 2018.
The investigation is active and continuing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Special Investigator Oleszkiewicz at (609) 826-7468 or Detective Tighe at (732) 745-3300.
As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Sorwar are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.