Ruby Reyes, a mother and undocumented immigrant residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, asserts that she gave a winning lottery ticket valued at $2 million to her uncle due to her fears of being deported.
Almost two years later, she claims that he still possesses the winnings.
Reyes shared with N+ Univision 14 San Francisco that she purchased a $10 Instant Prize Crossword scratch-off ticket at MD Liquor & Food in Santa Rosa in late 2024. The ticket was a winner for the top prize of the game, but she feared that personally claiming it would reveal her immigration situation.
She felt that her uncle, who has the proper documentation, would be able to claim the prize on her behalf and subsequently provide her with the funds.
She mentioned to Univision that she has initiated legal proceedings and is confident that she has sufficient proof to demonstrate that she is the purchaser of the ticket and its rightful owner.
'Only the Truth'
While Reyes does not disclose her uncle's identity in her statement, an official press release from the California Lottery indicates that a person named Jose Reyes Ayala claimed a $2 million prize from a $10 Instant Prize Crossword ticket purchased at MD Liquor & Food in Santa Rosa in December 2024.
Reyes commented that the lottery win symbolized an opportunity to enhance her children's future. She urged her uncle to think again and return the money she believes is rightfully hers. Univision reported that it attempted to contact him but did not receive any reply.
“It was a dream I had,” she said. “I only thought about my future and that of my children. I am telling the truth, and nothing but the truth, and I have sufficient evidence to win this case.”Can Undocumented Immigrants Win the Lottery?
Undocumented immigrants are not officially prohibited from winning or collecting lottery prizes in California or any other state in the United States, and California's lottery regulations do not mandate that claimants be residents of California or U. S. citizens.
Nevertheless, winners of jackpots must present valid identification and tax-related documents prior to receiving their prizes. Additionally, federal tax withholding rates may be elevated for winners who fail to provide a taxpayer identification number.
Numerous previous cases reflect the situation faced by Reyes. In 2011, Jose Antonio Cua-Toc, an immigrant hailing from Guatemala, won $750,000 from a Georgia scratch-off game but requested his employer, Erick Cervantes, to claim the prize on his behalf.
Cervantes asserted that the ticket belonged to him, insisting that Cua-Toc had purchased it using his funds. A jury in Houston County spent around 35 minutes deliberating before concluding that Cua-Toc was indeed the rightful owner, as evidence from store surveillance reportedly validated his narrative.
Deportation Risk Real
However, in the current environment, there are valid concerns that an undocumented winner may genuinely fear claiming a jackpot publicly, despite the lottery's regulations allowing it.
Shortly after the California Lottery was established in 1985, Jose Caballero, a 24-year-old furniture delivery worker from Mexico residing in San Jose, won $2 million. The lottery officials confirmed that he had the right to the winnings regardless of his immigration status, but the media attention led to an investigation by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Ultimately, Caballero chose to leave voluntarily rather than fight against deportation proceedings and he returned to Mexico. Crucially, he managed to retain his lottery winnings and continued receiving his annual payments.
