Florida lottery winner denied winnings due to state debt
A man in South Florida who won $10,000 on a lottery scratch-off ticket was denied his winnings because he owed money to the state.
Joe Cheung had received unemployment compensation during the COVID-19 pandemic and was told that he owed $7,800 to the Department of Economic Opportunity for overpayment, but he had already been granted forgiveness and provided proof.
He had been trying to get in touch with the department to straighten out the issue for over a month, but without any success.
Cheung's story is not uncommon in Florida, with many lottery winners being flagged for owing money to the state but unable to get in touch with the Department of Economic Opportunity.
However, after Local 10 News contacted the department, Cheung finally received a phone call and was told that there was an error, and he would be receiving his winnings in four to six weeks.
