An Elite Lottery Lawyer Needs a Lawyer Himself

Being filthy rich isn’t always easy, especially when the riches come in the form of a major lottery jackpot. Fortunately for those rare few who beat the mathematically implausible odds, there are “lottery lawyers” like Jay Kurland to guide them through the particulars of remaining anonymous, setting up trusts, minimizing taxes, and investing their sudden fortunes wisely. According to reporter Simon van Zuylen-Wood of Bloomberg, Kurland is “America’s foremost lotto-winner whisperer.” He also faces federal charges for wire fraud and money laundering, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Several of his associates—including some with organized crime connections and criminal backgrounds—have already copped plea deals and await sentencing; their testimony probably won't be helpful to Kurland at his upcoming trial.

Kurland’s transition from commercial real estate attorney to lottery lawyer started out innocently enough in 2011 when he was tapped to help three lucky hedge fund managers deal with the burden of a $254 million PowerBall win. Over time, he got more creative (and less transparent) in the ways he handled his clients' money, convincing them to invest in a gaggle of shady ventures, including a predatory “merchant cash advance” business and an alleged Ponzi scheme through a wholesale jeweler. A Brazilian butt-lift doctor (DrBFixin) is somehow tied up in the story, as well, but he is not charged with anything. Kurland’s attorney paints his client as a naïve do-gooder who was manipulated by career criminals, but federal wiretaps and other evidence suggest the odds are stacked against him. Read the whole story on Bloomberg. (More lottery stories.)