A Troy investor who thought he had figured out a guaranteed way to win huge jackpots in the Michigan Lottery has been sentenced after he spent $1 million of other people’s money each week to carry out the failed scheme.

TROY, Mich. – A Troy investor is accused of losing $19 million of other people’s money in a scheme that involved tricking them into fake investment opportunities and spending more than $1 million per week on Michigan Lottery games. In June 2016, Gjonaj believed he had discovered a guaranteed way to win large jackpots playing the Michigan Lottery Daily 3 and Daily 4 games, according to authorities. Instead of ending the gambling scheme, Gjonaj tricked others into giving him money through the fake real estate investment deal plan, according to officials. AdBy early 2019, Gjonaj was betting more than $1 million per week on Michigan Lottery games using money fraudulently obtained from victims, according to officials. In August 2019, his scheme had unraveled and resulted in more than $19 million in losses to those victims, authorities said.