A New Jersey construction worker will have to hand over $20 million to his former lottery pool co-workers who sued him after he claimed a $77 million jackpot alone.
A jury found that Americo Lopes wrongly refused to share the lottery winnings with his pool-mates.
For years, Lopes and five other New Jersey construction workers would throw in $2 each to buy three tickets for the Mega Millions lottery.
When one of the tickets hit the $77 million jackpot in 2009, Lopes, who would regularly buy the tickets, hid the news from his buddies, his former friends claimed in a lawsuit.
Lopes argued that the winning ticket was bought in his personal capacity. But a Union County, NJ jury decided in favor of the five co-workers — who will get $4 million each, after taxes.
