Ex-Crackhead Receives $5 Million Lottery Win After Being Duped By Store Owner

After the storm passes, there’s always a blessing waiting on you right around the corner.

This is true in the case of Robert Miles. The former crack addict and New York maintenance worker learned recently that he will receive payment from a scratch-off he purchased seven years ago. In 2006, Miles purchased the ticket in Syracuse from a convenient store owned by Nayef Ashkar. At the time, Miles was high on crack and didn’t notice that he was being scammed by the owner sons, Andy and Nayel.  The brothers realized that the scratch-off was a winning ticket then lied to Miles about how much it was worth. The two told Miles that the ticket was only worth $5,000 and paid him just $4,000. And that was that…until 2012.

Last year, the Ashkar brothers (Andy, 35 and Nayel, 37) finally took the ticket to the lottery ticket to cash out. The office administrators was baffled at why it took them so long to cash in the ticket. Immediately, an investigation was in progress.  Now, the NY Post reports that the family was taken to court for possession of stolen property.  The older brother, Nayel Ashkar, was cleared of all charges. But, Andy Ashkar was found guilty of possession and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.  Their father, Nayef, plead guilty to filing a false affidavit with the lottery office.

In the next few weeks, Miles will receive his lottery payout. His lump sum payment will be worth $3,210,000 and $2,124,378 after taxes.

Miles, who filed for bankruptcy in 2008, currently works at a Syracuse apartment complex.