I’m a lottery lawyer – winners should watch their backs as many jackpot wins end in tragedy
WINNING the lottery is a life-changing moment that most people can only dream of, however, there have been several winners whose newfound wealth ended in tragedy.
Attorney Derek Pakiz is warning any lottery winners to watch their backs as they settle into life with their new jackpot.
In order to receive the top prize, a lotto winner must claim their win, however, only seven states allow winners to remain anonymous, said Pakiz.
Winners in Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Texas, Ohio, and South Carolina can remain anonymous and six states also allow people to form a trust to claim prize money anonymously.
On the other hand, states like California entirely forbid lottery winners to remain anonymous.
It is advised to read your state’s regulations regarding lottery winnings before playing for cash.
READ MORE CRIME
Just this year a woman from New Hampshire won $560million in the Powerball lottery and had her name, town, and the amount she won listed on public records due to state law.
The woman learned from a lawyer that she could have avoided revealing her name if she claimed the lottery money through a trust, however, she signed her name on the winning ticket, and altering the signature would make the ticket null and void.
The winner is now suing to remain anonymous, however, experts feel she'll end up attracting more people because of her lawsuit.
JACKPOT TRAGEDY
Within two months of winning a $400,000 prize, Craigory Burch Jr, 20, was gunned down in Fitzgerald, Georgia after masked men demanded money.
Most read in The US Sun
Cops said at the time that Craigory was a “pre-selected target” and years later, lawmakers passed a bill that allowed lottery players, who won more than $250,000, to stay anonymous.
Craigory’s girlfriend Jasmine Hendricks told WALB-TV in January 2016 that the men ran into their home after “blowing open the door.”
She said: “When they came in, he said, 'Don't do it, bro. Don't do it in front of my kids. Please don’t do it in front of my kids and old lady.'”
Craigory, a forklift truck operator, begged the assailants and told them he would give them his bank card.
The men shot and killed him after they couldn’t find his wallet.
Seven people were arrested in connection with Craigory's death and hit with a slew of charges.
One of them was Dabrentis Overstreet, who was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of murder.
Craigory won more than $400,000 after he matched five numbers in the Georgia lottery Fantasy 5 game.
He bought a home for himself and his girlfriend and bought Christmas presents for children in the area.
In 2021, prosecutors said Overstreet and the other men wanted to rob Craigory as he was “flexing and showing off” by handing out the presents, per the ABC affiliate WSB.
Craigory's mom Leslie Collins said the killers "took part of my life away from me," per the NBC affiliate WALB.
Years after Craigory was killed, Georgia state lawmakers passed a law that protected players’ identities.
Players have to sign a piece of paper to protect their anonymity.
Former Georgia State Senator Steve Henson said: “It was done because constituents were worried that they could win that money and be like people in other states, by victims of crime of flim-flam etcetera.”
He added: “There have been people all over the country who’ve been victimized by crime.”
'BETTER OFF BROKE'
In 2006, Abraham Lee Shakespeare, 43, won the Florida lottery jackpot of $17million.
Shakespeare publicly collected his winnings and soon began to dislike the side effects of coming into a large fortune.
On one occasion, he even told his brother, Robert Brown, that it would have been better had he not won anything.
"'I'd have been better off broke.' He said that to me all the time," Brown explained to The St. Augustine Record in 2010.
At the time of winning the lottery jackpot, Shakespeare was living with his mother and worked as an assistant truck driver.
He reportedly struggled with literacy and was very generous to everyone after acquiring his millions.
Samuel Jones, a childhood friend, also told the publication that people would gather outside Shakespeare's mother's house asking for money.
"He really didn't understand it at all," Jones said.
"It was moving so fast. It changed his life in a bad way."
Shakespeare also began to make friends, which he confided in Jones about — saying they only wanted to be close to him for his money.
He was ultimately right about at least one person, Dorice Donegan "DeeDee" Moore, 49.
Moore and Shakespeare met in 2007, about one year after the assistant truck driver had collected his winnings.
She told him she was interested in writing a book about his life along with managing his money.
Moore then allegedly withdrew $ 1million from bank accounts belonging to Shakespeare and purchased several cars and a vacation.
Then, in 2009, Shakespeare was found dead and buried under concrete in the yard of a home previously purchased by Moore.
She was arrested in connection with the crime and then charged with first-degree murder in 2012, per NewsJax4.
Moore is serving her life sentence at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida.
Despite her actions, Moore advocated that lottery winners should have their identity protected for at least six months after they cash in their tickets.
"It puts a target on them," she told CBS News.
In May 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed a law that allowed the names of those who win $100,000 or more to remain permanently confidential, per Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
Read More on The US Sun
Those who win at least $600 have their names released after 90 days.
