#Illinois covid lottery winners how to
#Illinois covid lottery winners trial

Judge: Kurland Abused Clients’ Trust, Mishandled Money Now, the sentences imposed by Judge Garaufis show that for these defendants who made the lottery winners their victims, their luck has run out, and this Office will prosecute anyone who chooses to engage in fraud – no matter their title or degree. Just before trial, Christopher Chierchio pled guilty to assisting Kurland in this fraud, while personally pocketing more than $25 million of the lottery winners’ money.

#Illinois covid lottery winners trial

The trial of Jason Kurland proved that Kurland violated his solemn duties as a lawyer and as an officer of the Court by stealing and misappropriating more than $100 million from his clients, who were some of the largest lottery winners in U.S. US Attorney Damien Williams expressed his approval of the lengthy sentences: Instead, per the verdict, he defrauded those trusting clients of over $100 million.

I understand what needs to be done to protect your newfound fortune, because I have helped many winners just like you. I can help secure your wealth for generations. I can help keep your name out of the papers and off the Internet. I have represented many of the largest jackpot winners in lottery history.īefore you contact the Lottery Commission, get hounded by the media and get approached by people who want to separate you from your money, call me. YOU HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY. (The $1.5 billion winner was presumably his final client, as the website’s claim had been $1 billion a few months earlier.) However, until at least September 2019, his website boasted that he’d counseled lottery winners with $2.5 billion in combined jackpots. It remains the biggest all-time jackpot from Mega Millions and the third-largest from any lottery worldwide.īefore his fall from grace, Kurland had been known as “the Lottery Lawyer” and did business through a website by the same name. The largest of these was a $1.5 billion Mega Millions prize from October 2018. The victims in the case were winners of large Mega Millions and PowerBall jackpots. The jury saw things differently, finding him guilty on all counts in July 2022. Kurland’s defense centered on the idea that he had been a victim himself, deceived by the other three. All four were charged simultaneously in August 2020. The other two defendants were Frankie Russo and Frank Smookler. Smookler is a former securities broker while Russo and Chierchio are both reputed to have Mafia connections. One, Christopher Chierchio, received a 5-year sentence from Judge Garaufis alongside Kurland. Kurland had maintained his innocence while his three co-defendants all pleaded guilty. Garaufis handed Kurland a stiff 13-year sentence for wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering.

#Illinois covid lottery winners how to

More information on how to vaccinated and the terms and conditions of vaccine incentivizes are available on the university's website.Lottery winners defrauded of their fortunes by lawyer Jason Kurland and his associates received some measure of justice last week. The next on-campus vaccination clinic is slated for July 17. Students will not be considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose vaccine, or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. Those who don't will be must complete regular on-campus COVID testing through a program the university has not yet released details on. Students are not required to be vaccinated. The university is asking students to submit proof of vaccination before their first day or classes or before they move into campus housing.

Meanwhile, ISU is offering $1,000 scholarships to 100 students who submit proof of vaccination before the first week of class on August 16.Īnother 75 students will get $100 in 'flex dollars' added to their Redbird ID card account to spend on things like food on campus. The Illinois Lottery will hold weekly drawings beginning July 8, giving out cash prizes between $100,000 and $1 million to vaccinated residents. Illinois State University is following the state's lead, using money to encourage people to get vaccinated.