Bob Edmonds
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Edmonds was a Canadian
man who was defrauded
out of his lottery
winnings in 2001 when an employee of the convenience store
where he had checked his ticket told him that he won only a free ticket, and kept the winning ticket for herself.
. He had worked as a draughtsman
for Ontario Hydro for 35 years, and played the lottery since it began. On July 27, 2001, he arrived at the Coby Milk & Variety in Coboconk to check the outcome of a Super 7
with Encore ticket he had bought two weeks earlier with his regular numbers. He heard the winning musical jingle sound twice, indicating he had won two separate prizes: in fact he had won a free ticket and $250,000. However, the clerk, Phyllis LaPlante, gave him only the free ticket he had won. After contacting Edmonds later to determine his playing patterns, LaPlante was able to successfully cash his winning ticket.
Edmonds contacted the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
and the Ontario Provincial Police
to report the theft; ultimately, he launched a lawsuit against the OLG and Phyllis LaPlante after the OLG took no action on his complaints. On March 17, 2005, he settled out-of-court with OLG and LaPlante, but was bound by a non-disclosure agreement to not divulge any of the details of his case. In early 2006 producers Harvey Cashore and Linda Guerriero from the Canadian investigative documentary show, the fifth estate
began researching Edmonds' story. The OLG threatened to sue Edmonds if he discussed his case, even matters already in the public domain. Edmonds brought a court application in the Fall of 2006 for an order releasing him from the non-disclosure agreement. On the eve of the hearing the OLG backed down and issued a press release releasing him from the agreement and freeing him to speak publicly about how he had been treated.
Coupled with the other revelations of the story, this led to an official investigation of the OLG by Ontario's ombudsman André Marin
. His critical report led to the dismissal on March 23, 2007, of OLG's president Duncan Brown. Following Marin's report, the OPP
also launched an inquiry.
The story also had consequences in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, where opposition Tories
called for the resignation of David Caplan
, the minister responsible for overseeing lotteries.
Following Brown's dismissal, OLG issued a formal apology and awarded him his legal fees on March 30, 2007. He had heard the letter of apology read to him before the time of his death from cancer
on April 2, but did not live to see the official letter.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
man who was defrauded
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
out of his lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
winnings in 2001 when an employee of the convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
where he had checked his ticket told him that he won only a free ticket, and kept the winning ticket for herself.
Events
Edmonds was a resident of Coboconk, OntarioCoboconk, Ontario
Coboconk is a community in the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the south-central portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. The village lies at the junction of Highway 35 and former Highway 48, on the northern tip of Balsam Lake, the highest point on the Trent–Severn Waterway...
. He had worked as a draughtsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
for Ontario Hydro for 35 years, and played the lottery since it began. On July 27, 2001, he arrived at the Coby Milk & Variety in Coboconk to check the outcome of a Super 7
Lotto Super 7
Lotto Super 7 was a national lottery game in Canada, operated by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation . It was launched in 10 June 1994, and its last draw was on 18 September 2009....
with Encore ticket he had bought two weeks earlier with his regular numbers. He heard the winning musical jingle sound twice, indicating he had won two separate prizes: in fact he had won a free ticket and $250,000. However, the clerk, Phyllis LaPlante, gave him only the free ticket he had won. After contacting Edmonds later to determine his playing patterns, LaPlante was able to successfully cash his winning ticket.
Edmonds contacted the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation , known for corporate branding purposes simply as OLG since 2006, is a Crown Corporation of the Government of Ontario, Canada. It is responsible for the province's lotteries, charity and Aboriginal casinos, commercial casinos, and slot machines at...
and the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
to report the theft; ultimately, he launched a lawsuit against the OLG and Phyllis LaPlante after the OLG took no action on his complaints. On March 17, 2005, he settled out-of-court with OLG and LaPlante, but was bound by a non-disclosure agreement to not divulge any of the details of his case. In early 2006 producers Harvey Cashore and Linda Guerriero from the Canadian investigative documentary show, the fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
began researching Edmonds' story. The OLG threatened to sue Edmonds if he discussed his case, even matters already in the public domain. Edmonds brought a court application in the Fall of 2006 for an order releasing him from the non-disclosure agreement. On the eve of the hearing the OLG backed down and issued a press release releasing him from the agreement and freeing him to speak publicly about how he had been treated.
Press coverage and reaction
On October 25, 2006 the Fifth Estate aired a special exposé on "insider lottery wins", focusing on Edmonds. The details of the story, particularly the OLG's response and the fact that Edmonds remained bound by confidentiality restrictions, ignited a storm of negative press coverage and caused a public relations disaster for the OLG. Several weeks after the story, OLG president Duncan Brown personally apologized to Edmonds.Coupled with the other revelations of the story, this led to an official investigation of the OLG by Ontario's ombudsman André Marin
André Marin
André Marin is the Ombudsman of Ontario. He was appointed in April 2005 and reappointed in June 2010 to a second five-year term...
. His critical report led to the dismissal on March 23, 2007, of OLG's president Duncan Brown. Following Marin's report, the OPP
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
also launched an inquiry.
The story also had consequences in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
, where opposition Tories
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
called for the resignation of David Caplan
David Caplan
David Caplan is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty...
, the minister responsible for overseeing lotteries.
Following Brown's dismissal, OLG issued a formal apology and awarded him his legal fees on March 30, 2007. He had heard the letter of apology read to him before the time of his death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on April 2, but did not live to see the official letter.
Quotations
- "If you're honest, there's no guarantee that people are going to believe you, but if you get into some kind of a problem, and you're not honest, boy you bury yourself: you get deeper and deeper in trouble, and you can tell the whole world that you're honest, and nobody will believe you."
External links
- Ontario ombudsman's report on the OLG
- Webcast of the fifth estateThe fifth estatethe fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
's program "Luck of the Draw"