CNN reported that a man in France made an unconventional proposal after he discovered that his stolen credit card had been used to purchase a winning lottery ticket.
Rather than pursuing legal action, Jean-David Estele has proposed that the thieves share the €500,000 ($525,000) prize.
Estele’s vehicle was burgled in Toulouse on February 3, and the perpetrators utilized his credit card to acquire numerous items at a pub, including a lottery ticket. Pierre Debuisson, his attorney, informed AP News that the ticket ultimately became a jackpot victor.
“It is a miracle for both the thieves and my client,” Debuisson stated, elucidating that Estele regards the situation as an unanticipated accident of fate. He is advocating for the two thieves, presumed to be destitute, to come forward.
Although fingerprints were recovered from the crime scene, the police have encountered difficulty identifying the pair. “The ticket could not have been purchased without my client’s credit card, but the thieves’ actions would have also prevented the purchase,” Debuisson observed.
Police Struggle to Identify Thieves Who Won Lottery with Stolen Credit Card
Estele has no intention of filing complaints. “The thieves have nothing to fear from us,” Debuisson stated, noting that the low-quality surveillance footage has exacerbated the difficulty locating them.
Estele and his wife intend to allocate their proceeds towards constructing a new residence. In the interim, Française des Jeux (FDJ), the French lottery operator, declared that no claim had been submitted for the prize.
The narrative has garnered the interest of international media outlets. “I am under the impression that this has never occurred before.” Debuisson stated, “I never anticipated that this case would garner such widespread attention.”
Despite its unusual nature, the council described it as one of his most amusing cases. “It may not be the most unusual case I have encountered, but it is certainly the most amusing,” he stated.
