State Investigating Fake House Raffle

The state is investigating a fake house raffle in Lake County. The house on South Dixie Drive in Howie in the Hills is worth $617,000 and people paid $100 a piece for a raffle ticket to win it.

However, Eyewitness News learned that the house was never given away to anyone. Amy Wright will never forget the day she was surfing the Internet and found her dream home.

"It was beautiful! It was gorgeous," she said.

Wright learned how she could win a million-dollar mansion for $100 by buying a raffle ticket.

"It's like a little German cottage. It was beautiful. I thought it was the cutest home in the world," said Wright.

The house is in Howie in the Hills. The county appraised it at $617,000. It would have made a nice prize, but the trouble is state investigators said nobody ever won it.

The Florida Department of Agriculture is investigating a non-profit organization called Sons of Toil. Investigators say more than 500 people bought tickets, but the home was never raffled off and no one has gotten a refund.

"The website went down, the phone number went down. There was no way to contact Sons of Toil and request a refund," said Wright.

An e-mail that Amy received from Sons of Toil said the group never had any intentions of harming anyone with the raffle.

Tax records show the owner of the mansion lived in Astatula, where Eyewitness News found a huge gate and "no trespassing'" signs.

Investigators won't say who could face charges, but they insist it is a criminal case.

Amy Wright wants the raffle organizers prosecuted.

"Just for me, it's $100, a life lesson. Don't do it again. It's not worth it," she said.

Investigators believe many players bought multiple tickets.