After only an hour of deliberating, jurors in Cumberland County say a man must split the winnings from a $1 mil lottery ticket with his half-brother.
In May of last year, Ira Sharp gave his brother, Charles Meehan $20 to play a scratch off. Meehan won and kept all the money. So his brother filed a lawsuit for breach of their verbal contract that they’d split the winnings. The brother wins and doesn’t share the prize. Wednesday in court, a lawsuit between the two had been settled and now the lottery winner must split the win.
Ira Sharp and his loved ones cheered outside the courthouse after he won his lawsuit against Meehan.
Sharp says, “It brought out the truth today, and that’s what I’m grateful for.”
They jury ruled there was a valid, verbal contract between Sharp and Meehan. They say Meehan breached the contract.
Sharp’s attorney, R. Mark Thomas says, “I told Mr. Sharp from the beginning that the truth was his ally, he didn’t need to embellish anything. Just try to be comfortable and as honest as he could.”
Meehan’s attorney, Doug Miller says, “We definitely do not believe there was a contract at the time. We think that was really a fabrication made after the fact when the parties broke off their relationship.”
Although attorneys disagree over the outcome, they agree on the tragic nature of the civil case between two brothers.
Thomas says, “This is the kind of thing that drives a wedge that may never be able to be removed. I hope they reconcile but I guess money does this to people.”
Miller says, “Anytime you have a family dispute, I think the courthouse is a bad place to have them resolved.”
For Sharp, he won more than $500,000 in court. He says, “It’s been a long time coming and finally justice has been served.”
Attorneys say you should always sign a lottery ticket if you agree to split it with someone. This would show proof of a contract.