Posted on 04/06/2012 5:15:00 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Aside from the bizarre drama unfolding over the ticket to a record-breaking jackpot that may or may not be hidden in a Baltimore McDonald's, lottery officials on Thursday said nothing much has changed in the week since three winners were chosen in a Mega Millions drawing worth a half-billion dollars.
“Our status is no different from where we were Saturday morning,” Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino said at a news conference at the agency’s headquarters. “Until someone walks through our doors with the winning ticket in their hands … we will continue to wait for that person to come in.”
Officials in Maryland, where one of the tickets was sold, aren’t the only ones waiting. Winning tickets to the $656 million prize were also sold in northeastern Kansas and in Red Bud, Ill. No one has presented those tickets either.
But the aftermath of the drawing has been calmer in those states.
The atmosphere in Maryland took a turn for the scandalous on Monday, when the New York Post reported that a Haitian immigrant working at a Baltimore McDonald's not only had the winning ticket but was being accused of reneging on a lottery pool with her fellow employees.
As if that weren’t enough, her story soon changed to include a secret hiding place within the fast-food restaurant, which is down the street from the lucky 7-Eleven that sold the ticket.
The woman, 37-year-old Mirlande Wilson, held a news conference at which her attorney, Edward Smith Jr., spoke for her.
“I cannot say with any certainty this ticket exists,” Mr. Smith said, compounding an already baffling situation.
The owner of the McDonald's, Birul Desai, issued a statement of his own on Thursday saying rumors of a treasure hidden in his store were “all just speculation.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
This is quickly turning into a Coen Bros. movie.
Why does the media fall for this crap?
No tickee, no washee! is the rule...unless you HAVE the ticket in hand you don’t win. There is NO story here until someone with a TICKET in hand shows up at Maryland lottery headquarters!
Freegards
Lex
Wouldn’t you just know something like ‘Mirlande’ would win the jackpot?
If I had that ticket, I’d be loading up a U-haul and establishing ironclad residence in a state that doesn’t have an income tax. Only then would I present the ticket.
6.5% MD tax would be a $10-15 million hit. It’d be worth it just to see those parasites in Annapolis howl.
I would not be surprised if Obama sent the Secret Service to that McDonald’s and found the ticket, or took it from the woman.
—As if that weren’t enough, her story soon changed to include a secret hiding place within the fast-food restaurant—
She must have seen the end of the movie/play “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”.
Why wouldn’t anyone believe it was something other than a “Mirlande Miracle?”
Ain’t it just the most amazin’est thing??
I don’t get why the attorney doesn’t know if the alleged winning ticket even exists. I’d think before taking on Ms. Wilson as a client he would want to see the ticket with his own eyes.
Either he is one stupid lawyer or he’s a party to a hoax.
6.5% MD tax would be a $10-15 million hit. It’d be worth it just to see those parasites in Annapolis howl.
I believe that state income tax is levied in the state in which the income was earned, not the state of residence of the winner. I wouldn’t just assume that if I were a MD resident when I bought the ticket and then moved to another state that didn’t have state income tax before claiming the ticket, that I wouldn’t still be liable for MD income tax. This is why lottery winners should consult with a very good, experienced and knowledgeable CPA, tax attorney, qualified investment advisor, etc. before coming forward to claim the prize.
Many years ago, some guy, named Curtis something..also one of Holder’s peeps.....won about $50 mill in the NY state lottery..he shows up at Lottery HQ the next day, in a limo, wearing a tuxedo, with his wife AND his girlfriend...ten years later, he was bankrupt..
In 36o more days..if no ticket tunrs up, Matryland keeps the whole enchilada..
I doubt that would work. They are going to go by state of residence at the time of sale/drawing.
Is that 360 days (one year) or 36???
Sad if a winner is hospitalized or out of the country during that limited period and don’t even know they have a winning ticket.
Actually in Maryland it is 182 days.
Free face time on the tube!
It pays to advertise!
Well, I just heard on the news that Ms, Wilson can’t find her ticket. Looks like the hoax is going to collapse and the attorney is going to look like a fool. Not good for business.
It was only $5m, but he seems like an okay guy.
She first said she bought the ticket at a 7-Eleven for herself, then said a co-worker purchased one for her while buying tickets for a group of McDonald’s employees.
She has also claimed to have hidden the ticket at McDonald’s — a claim her co-workers have said is dubious.
“She could not have hidden any ticket here,” one employee told the Daily News this week. “She hasn’t been back and she doesn’t have any locker to hide it. She would not hide it in the bathroom or anything.”
My point was a winning lottery ticket is just a piece of paper with numbers on it until it is presented for payment.
It would seem that the “income” is not generated until the time the ticket is cashed. Therefore, wouldn’t the holder’s state of residence at that point be the driver?
Conversely, what if someone from California was visiting D.C. and bought a winning ticket in Maryland, flew back to CA and cashed it there? What could Maryland say?
It would be interesting if a lawyer or someone with actual knowledge of a situation like this would chime in.
That’s true for the California lottery (a state run lottery). If you win Mega, you will pay California state income tax.
This tells me you want both live, and buy, in non-taxing lotto states to maximize your winnings. CA doesn't tax lotto winnings and participates in Mega Millions, seems like MD would have to have a law like AZ to make a tax claim.
That appears incorrect according to the Mega Millions website.
The Franchise Tax Board has this to say:
a. California Lottery Winnings. California excludes California lottery winnings from taxable income. Enter in column B the amount of California lottery winnings included in the federal amount on line 21 in column A. Make no adjustment for lottery winnings from other states. They are taxable by California. California and federal laws allow gambling losses only to the extent of reported gambling income. If you reduced gambling income for California lottery income, you may need to reduce the losses included in the federal itemized deduction.
As CA participates, I don't see how Mega Millions is winnings from another state's lottery particularly if you bought the ticket in CA.
Perhaps CA could argue it's owed a bite out of a ticket bought in MD by a CA resident for Mega Millions.
This is why you want a good tax attorney if you win, so you don't make a mistake.
“Make no adjustment for lottery winnings from other states. They are taxable by California.”
Correct.
Mega is considered an out-of-state lottery since the drawing is not done in California, even though you can buy tickets here.
At least that is my understanding — but I could be wrong. It’s happened once or twice before. :)
If the lawyer she has is any good, considering the money that is involved, they can arrange it in such a way that she can receive the bulk of the money without it ever being traced back to her and more importantly, without her ever being found.
Did they spell his name correctly?
OMG! Not only did I work my cousin’s snowball stand across from this 7-11, but went to that McD’s all the time for lunch time when working there! LOL
Something is whacked out with this woman.
This woman is absurd. What an embarrassment.
Typical of what one would find in Baltimore City...
UGH!
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