Lottery winner is arrested and finds out that R$ 4 million prize disappeared while serving sentence

Collin McLeod, a lottery winner, was released after spending five months at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre in Canada and found only R$ 384 in his bank account. Before his arrest, he had received about R$ 4 million from the Ontario lottery.

In an interview with the local press, McLeod said that winning the lottery was the worst thing that ever happened to him. While in prison, his cryptocurrencies, belongings, and valuables disappeared. His losses included his trailer, watches, and even underwear, as reported by The Hamilton Spectator.

McLeod purchased a winning lottery ticket three years before his arrest. In April 2021, he was arrested for driving illegally and violating traffic laws. Subsequently, authorities searched his apartment and found narcotics, which further complicated his legal situation. McLeod admitted to possessing a small amount of cocaine but denied ownership of the other drugs found. The imprisonment and the million-dollar theft he suffered while incarcerated turned his life into a nightmare.

McLeod sought help from both the judiciary and the police, but no legal action was taken against the criminals who stole his belongings. He explained that his vehicles were registered under friends' names, who handed over his belongings under pressure to unknown individuals and had access to the key of his cryptocurrency wallet.

There is still no information on who stole McLeod's money. The investigation remains active, but no one has been accused of stealing the money. For him, the lack of efficiency weighed heavily on not recovering his belongings so far. Now, Collin seeks to restart his life in Smithville, in the Niagara region, in a property owned by his family.