UK Lotto Fraud Case to be Heard in April

By Steve Ashfield

onFeb 18, 2019

UK Lotto Fraud Case to be Heard in April

Edward Putman from Kings Langley in Hertfordshire, England, will stand trial in April. He’s accused of UK Lotto fraud by forging a ticket to win a £2.5m jackpot.The 53-year-old appeared at St Alban’s Crown Court on February 7. He only spoke to confirm his address and plead not guilty to the charge of fraud by false representation.[caption id="attachment_11621" align=aligncenter width=650] uk lotto fraud mr putman

Mr Putman leaving court this month[/caption]It was in 2009 that Putman claimed a £2,525,485 UK Lotto jackpot won in April of that year. The jackpot win was paid to Mr Putman but six years later, doubts were made over the validity of his claim.

Long Investigation into UK Lotto Fraud

It’s been alleged that the accused had colluded with a Camelot insider. Initially, insufficient evidence was found and the case was dropped. A UK Gambling Commission investigation came to the opinion that “it was more than likely than not that a fraudulent prize claim had been paid out.”More investigations were carried out and after three years the fraud charge was made. Evidence will claim that the Camelot insider identified an unclaimed UK Lotto jackpot. Then a new ticket was printed with the winning numbers with the barcode torn off. The accused then claimed the win just days before it was due to expire.

One Jail Sentence Already Served

The suspected Camelot employee is alleged to have tried to blackmail Putman and later committed suicide. It’s not the first time that the accused has been in court. He was given a nine-month jail sentence after claiming unemployment benefits despite his UK Lotto win.Since his now disputed win, Mr Putman has used his winnings to purchase two luxurious homes. One of them has 22 cars and vans outside of it.Judge Nigel Lithman QC granted the accused unconditional bail ahead of his trial on April 23 this year.