TROY, Ohio -- Four co-workers filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the winners of a $207 million Mega Millions jackpot, saying the others didn't keep a promise to share the winnings.
The four said they were regular players in a Piqua city workers' lottery pool but didn't contribute toward the lucky ticket because they were out of the office.
The plaintiffs claim all players had agreed they would share equally if they ever hit the jackpot, according to the lawsuit filed in Miami County Common Pleas Court. They are asking for $41 million.
A message seeking comment was left with John Hemm, an attorney representing some of the winners.
Fourteen employees of the city of Piqua and one relative of a city worker claimed their prize last week from the Dec. 12 drawing. Each will each receive a check for approximately $6.3 million.
The group purchased its winning ticket, a $5 wager using the Lottery's auto-pick feature, at a Kroger store in Piqua, about 30 miles north of Dayton.
It was the Ohio's third-largest jackpot win since joining the multi-state game in 2002.
The employees had been pooling their money for about five years although not everyone participated in every drawing.
The four who filed the lawsuit - Doug Harter, Israel Carnes, Tammy K. Wright and Jon Litchfield - said that they had contributed to tickets bought in the Dec. 9 drawing and that some of the cash winnings from that drawing were used to purchase tickets for the drawing that produced the big winner.
The four said they had an oral agreement and informal partnership to share the winnings.
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