Texas woman stole million dollar lottery prize from cousin in New York

NEW YORK – A Texas woman stole a winning $1 million lottery ticket from her cousin in New York and demanded a lump sum payment of more than $500,000.

The Nassau County District Attorney said Iris Amador Argueta, 34, of Houston, pleaded guilty to grand larceny in connection with the case.

The victim purchased a US$5 New York State Lottery ticket to play poker at a 7-Eleven store in Glen Cove.

When he scratched the ticket, it revealed a $1,000,000 jackpot.

He contacted Argeta and asked her to claim the prize on his behalf because he wanted to remain anonymous. He promised Argeta $50,000 in exchange for receiving the prize, and she accepted.

Argueta drove from her home in Virginia to New York and took the winning ticket from her cousin.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the New York State Gaming Commission did not personally accept the winning tickets and instead, Argueta mailed the winning ticket to the state gaming commission.

A few weeks later, she returned to her cousin’s house with documents she said were from the New York State Lottery, showing the prize was only $20,000.

Argueta also handed the victim an envelope containing $13,436 and told him that the rest of the money was being kept for paying taxes.

The New York State Lottery issued a press release announcing that Argeta had claimed a $1 million prize and received a lump sum payment of $537,440 after taxes.

Upon learning of the press release, the victim called his cousin. She insisted that she did not have any additional money for the victim and that if he continued to contact her he would face legal consequences.

A joint investigation by the Glen Cove Police Department and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office found that Argueta received the one-time prize.

“Defendant thought she hit the jackpot when she issued her cousin’s $1 million winning ticket for her own and demanded a lump sum payment of more than $500,000,” Nassau County District Attorney Ann Donnelly said. “But her greedy actions also ended her good fortune and she will now serve time in prison for her crime.”

Argueta lost $317,857.13 of winnings from her bank account, which were returned to the victim.

On March 15, 2023, she is expected to be sentenced to 1.5 to 4 years in prison.