ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – An Ontario man has pleaded guilty in a lottery fraud where he tried to cheat his regular prize-playing group out of a $7-million win.
Ontario Provincial Police say they began investigating a suspicious group Lotto 6/49 win in 2013.
On Tuesday, police say Frank Galella, of Niagara Falls, Ont., was found guilty of theft over $5,000 and counselling to commit the crime of false pretenses, which involves misrepresenting a fact in order to obtain someone else’s property.
According to an agreed statement of facts read in court, Galella enlisted the help of two family members to claim the winning ticket as their own rather than splitting it with the group.
Galella is scheduled to appear in a St. Catharines court on Sept. 8 for sentencing.