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He Thought He'd Won a $12.8 Million Lottery Jackpot. Instead, He Ended Up Fighting His Employer in Court.
Yahoo • • business
Key Points:
- Robert Gawlitza, a former Circle K manager, purchased a $12.8 million winning lottery ticket that was initially left unsold by a customer at his store, sparking a legal dispute over ownership with Circle K.
- Circle K claims the ticket's ownership is unclear and has asked an Arizona court to determine who legally owns the jackpot, while Gawlitza and employee Marline Ybarra argue they lawfully bought the ticket following company policies and a longstanding practice requiring employees to buy unsold tickets.
- Gawlitza's legal team presented evidence, including text messages with a district manager and affidavits from employees, supporting that the purchase was made off-duty and in compliance with company rules, and that employees who bought such tickets previously kept any winnings.
- After nearly 20 years with Circle K, Gawlitza was fired, with the company alleging policy violations; he is now seeking damages and a court ruling affirming his and Ybarra’s ownership of the ticket.
- The Arizona Lottery is holding the prize in an interest-bearing account while the court resolves the dispute, with Circle K framing the lawsuit as a request for judicial guidance rather than targeting any individual.
