A Los Angeles lottery winner is suing the California Lottery for an additional $197.5 million, claiming he purchased two identical winning tickets for the December 8, 2023 Mega Millions draw but lost one of them.

Faramarz Lahijani, who collected half of the $394 million jackpot in June 2024, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court asserting his right to the entire prize. He maintains he bought both winning tickets from a Chevron gas station on Ventura Boulevard in Encino during separate transactions.

The California Lottery confirmed this was the first instance where two winning tickets were sold at the same location. While unusual, the Lottery spokesperson noted there could be various explanations for purchasing identical tickets, though they couldn't specify without a claim being made.

Lahijani's lawsuit argues that:

• He is the sole winner of both tickets
• A contractual relationship exists between him and the Lottery
• The Lottery has sufficient information to verify his claim
• He filed the suit before the December 8, 2024 ticket expiration to preserve his rights

The Lottery has declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.

The Chevron gas station received a record $1.9 million bonus (0.5% of the total prize value) for selling both winning tickets, regardless of the lawsuit's outcome.

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