Have you ever wished that you could be an instant winner of a $1 million dollar McDonald’s
monopoly prize?
Do you remember the feeling of peeling the monopoly game ticket off the box of medium
fries hoping that your ticket would change your life, only to have the feeling of dissatisfaction
sweep over you as you realize that you are the winner of a mcchicken sandwich, yet again.
This is the story of how ex cop, Jerome “Uncle Jerry” Jacobson rigged the Mcdonalds monopoly
game to steal $24 million dollars in prizes over a 12 year period.
In 1987, Mcdonald’s introduced a new game that would sweep the nation.
Mcdonald’s partnered with the game board makers of Monopoly to create a game of “chance”
where tickets were attached to the containers of Fries, burgers, and drinks, for an opportunity
to win up to $1 million dollars in cash prizes.
The game was simple, collect game tickets, representing monopoly properties, and win
cash prizes.
With a little luck, anyone, including yourself could win, or so you thought.
Enter Jerome “Jerry” Jacobson, the man behind the elaborate scheme and the target
of an FBI sting operation.
An anonymous tip to an FBl agent would later implicate Jerry and expose how he was able
to rig the system and distribute the winning game pieces to his friends and family.
Jerry and his new choice friends; Mob members, racketeers, and drug traffickers, would go
on to sweep up every large prize for the next 12 years.
After losing his job as a police officer, Jerry, started his new life in private security
for Dittler Brothers in 1981.
At Dittler Brothers, he would make a name for himself through his hard work and dedication
to loss prevention.
Jerry oversaw the production security detail for Dittler’s client, Simon Marketing.
The same Simon Marketing that was contracted with printing all of the monopoly game pieces
for Mcdonalds.
Later being promoted to the head of security at Simon Marketing, Jerry would learn the
inner workings of how the game came to life.
He would observe the process of the tickets being printed, the tamper proof watermarks
being affixed, and would even oversee the technicians creating the instant winner game
pieces.
Jerry had access to the vault and was tasked with distributing the tickets to the packaging
factories across the country where the game pieces would later be distributed to the Mcdonalds
restaurants.
During an intake interview, Jerry would later tell investigators that: “It was my responsibility
to keep the integrity of the game and get those winners to the public,”
In 1989, Jerry was overcome with the temptation to steal as he plotted on ways to keep the
big prize game pieces.
While transporting tickets to factories across the Country, Jerry would often take multiple
flights under the careful watch of an independent auditor.
Aware that all of his activities were monitored, Jerry devised a plan to swap out big prize
game pieces with less valuable pieces in airport bathroom stalls where the auditor had no visibility
of his actions.
Knowing that keeping the game pieces for himself would draw unwanted attention, he began giving
away and selling game pieces for profit, thus sowing the seeds of his future demise.
A ticket to his step brother, a ticket to his butcher, he could make easy money, and
change someone’s life in an instant.
Having all of the big ticket prizes and receiving an accidental shipment of tamper proof seals,
Jerry had all he needed to continue his scheme.
As time went on Jerry gained a God complex, a feeling that he could instantly change someone’s
life by making them an instant million dollar prize winner.
It was on a flight to Atlanta, in 1995, where Jerry met Mob affiliated Gennaro Columbo of
the infamous Columbo family.
Columbo was involved in operating adult nightclubs, underground casino’s and sports betting
rings.
It was Columbo who won the Dodge Viper, the beneficiary of a game peice from Jerry, who
was featured in a Mcdonald’s Monopoly commercial.
The two became close and through Columbo’s connections the scheme grew larger.
Columbo introduced Jerry to his friends and family giving him the moniker, “Uncle Jerry”
the alias that would later be given to the FBI.
The scheme continued to grow throughout the late 90’s as Columbo introduced Jerry to
many individuals who were eager to partake in the scam.
In exchange for tickets, these indivuals would pay Jerry cash kickbacks with Columbo acting
as the middleman.
Although most of the buyers of the tickets lived in the South Eastern part of the United
States, they would travel to random parts of the country claiming to have found the
winning ticket in various states.
They knew that if too many winners lived in the same area, or found tickets in the same
area, people would start asking questions.
3 Buyers in particular, were the father, cousin and best friend of Columbo’s wife Robin,
all cashing in on $1 million dollar prizes.
One fateful day in 1998, Columbo and wife Robin were involved in a car wreck.
Columbo was killed and survived by his wife.
Robin speculated that the Columbo family believed that she intentionally caused the crash due
to her deteriorating marriage to Columbo.
The Columbo family initiated an investigation in an attempt to gain further information.
As a result, Robin would never feel completely comfortable around her in laws ever again,
and believed that the Columbo family would later seek revenge.
With business booming, and no middle man, Jerry set out to fill the void left by the
late Columbo.
Through a newly formed network, Jerry was introduced to 2 men who would take the scam
to new heights.
Richard Couturier and Andrew Glomb, having different pasts but a common goal: set out
to recruit as many prospects as possible.
Jerry had given the men over 18 big prize tickets including 10 $1 million dollar instant
winner tickets.
Over the next few years, this new network would clean up every top prize.
In the year 2000, an anonymous tip had been made to the FBI detailing an elaborate fraud
regarding the Mcdonalds Monopoly game and speculated that one of the $1 million dollar
winners had obtained the ticket fraudulently.
The tipster implicated a man named William Fisher, the Father of Mobster wife Robin.
The tipster also credited a man named Uncle Jerry as the mastermind behind the scheme.
With no way of knowing the identity of Uncle Jerry, the FBI began investigating William
Fisher.
After securing wire taps, following check payment paper trails, and electricity records
linked to Jacksonville, it was discovered that Fisher had not been honest about where
he found the winning ticket and where he was living at the time.
The FBI learned that his primary residence was located in Jacksonville Florida, not New
Hampshire as he had previously claimed.
After further digging, the FBI began investigating other past winners and uncovered several others
who had been dishonest with where they found their winning tickets.
Coincidentally, most of the winners had their annual checks forwarded to addresses in the
South Eastern part of the United States despite these winners having home addresses throughout
the U.S.
By this time, the FBI had 25 agents nationwide working the case dubbed “Operation Final
Answer.”
20,000 phone numbers were tracked, with 235 cassette tapes of recorded telephone conversations.
The FBI were closing in on Uncle Jerry and were on the brink of discovering his identity.
The wire taps gave the FBI a lead on Uncle Jerry through Andrew Glomb and another accomplice
named Dwight Baker.
Meetings were arranged to exchange cash for tickets for the last two prizes as the FBI
began closing in.
FBI agents began tailing Glomb, Baker, and Jacobson, gathering evidence as the FBI began
formulating a plan to bring the operation down.
An undercover sting operation was plotted and disguised as a commercial capturing the
reaction of the final winner as a recipient of a giant 1 million dollar check.
To Michael Hoover, the final winner’s surprise, he was surrounded by FBI agents hidden amongst
the camera crew.
Hoover received his ticket from Glomb and effectively became the last piece to the puzzle
that brought down the scheme.
More than 50 defendants, including Jerome “Uncle Jerry” Jacobson were rounded up
and charged with mail fraud and conspiracy.
The elaborate network quickly led to one common denominator, Jerry Jacobson.
Jerry faced 105 years in prison as the orchestrator of the fraud.
Jerry eventually pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay 12.5
million dollars in restitution.
As part of the plea deal, Jerry explained the details of the scheme at length, and admitted
to stealing over 60 game pieces worth $24 million dollars over a 12 year span.
As an act of good faith, Mcdonald’s set out to right the wrong’s of Jerry Jacobson.
They committed to pay back every dollar that was stolen, and announced a special promotion
where the grand prize featured a $10 million dollar prize.
Mcdonalds vowed to doing everything in its power to ensure that something of this magnitude
would never happen again.
So you may be asking yourself, “Why is this the first time I’m hearing this story?”
Well, the answer is simple.
Jerry’s trial began on September 10th 2001, the day before the world Trade center terrorist
attacks.
The attacks were given all of the media attention, and the Mcdonald’s monopoly case flew under
the radar.
Robin Columbo believed that the Columbo family left the anonymous FBI tip as retribution
for the death of their son, do you believe that this is a plausible idea?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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