Lottery winner wasn't supposed to gambleBy MARK PRATT, Associated Press Writer -
Wed Nov 28
BOSTON - The winner of a $1 million lottery scratch ticket may not be
so lucky after all: He's a convicted bank robber who isn't supposed to
gamble. Timothy Elliott faces a Dec. 7 court hearing over whether he
violated his probation when he bought the $10 ticket for the $800
Million Spectacular game at a supermarket in Hyannis.
Elliott was placed on five years' probation after pleading guilty in
October 2006 to unarmed robbery for a January 2006 heist at a bank
on Cape Cod. Under terms of his probation, he "may not gamble,
purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is
conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played."
Elliott, 55, has collected the first of 20 annual $50,000 checks from
the Massachusetts lottery commission. A picture of Elliott, holding
his first check, was posted on the lottery's Web site Monday,
though it was removed by Wednesday.
As part of his sentence, Elliott was put under the care of the state
Mental Health Department and sent to a hospital for treatment, and
state officials refused Wednesday to say whether he was still being
treated.
A telephone number for Elliott could not immediately be located
Wednesday, and it was not clear whether he had a lawyer.
The lottery routinely cross references the names of winners with the
state Revenue Department to see if they owe back taxes or child
support, lottery spokesman Dan Rosenfeld said. In those cases,
winnings go straight to the Revenue Department.
But in this case, it will be up to the court to determine what will
happen with Elliott's winnings.
"This is kind of new territory," he said.
This photo released by the Massachusetts State Lottery shows
Timothy B.Elliott in the Lottery's Braintree, Mass., office Monday,
Nov. 26,2007, after he won a $1 million prize playing the Lottery's
$800,000,000 Spectacular. He's in trouble because he's also a
convicted bank robber who isn't supposed to be gambling. The
state probation commissioner's office has scheduled a hearing for
December 7 to determine whether Elliott, 55, violated his probation
when he bought the $10 ticket. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Lottery)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_on_fe_st/odd_robber_lottery_winner