8 Criminals Who Have Scored Big in the Lottery. Is There Justice in the World?

Isn’t It Ironic?

Ever hear that Alanis Morrissette song, Ironic? One of the lyrics tells the story of a man who won the lottery and then died the next day. Well, as unlucky as that sounds, there’s something even more frustrating—imagine convicted criminals winning millions from the lottery. It might sound like a rare occurrence, but shockingly, it happens more often than you’d think.

Here are four cases that defy the idea of cosmic justice, where criminals hit the jackpot and left the rest of us questioning the fairness of it all.

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1. The $10 Million Sex Offender

In 2008, Daniel Snay, a convicted sex offender from Uxbridge, Massachusetts, won a staggering $10 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Snay had been convicted of indecent assault and battery on a minor under 14 years old—twice, in 1974 and 1976. Despite his disturbing criminal history, luck was on his side when he purchased a winning ticket.

However, this windfall didn’t lead to redemption. Instead, it allegedly financed even more criminal activity. Snay was arrested again in 2014 for new charges of indecent assault, child enticement, and distributing pornography to minors. The authorities claim he used his lottery winnings to lure children into dangerous situations, making his lottery win all the more appalling.

His bail was set at $5 million, leaving many wondering how someone with such a past could be allowed to keep their winnings after abusing the wealth for further crimes.

2. The MIT Lottery Scammers

One of the biggest crimes to befall the lottery is when a researcher and several MIT students figured out a way to manipulate the lotto. Oh, but that isn’t the end of it! The Mass. Lottery was privy to the scandal, and instead of stopping the crime, they chose to let it go on!

The students figured out that by purchasing 100,000 dollars worth of tickets when the jackpot reached two million dollars or more, they were guaranteeing themselves a win. The students followed the algorithm, and in 2005, they had earned multiple prizes worth eight million dollars altogether.

The result of this crime? There wasn’t development as one would expect. The game that the students bought a ticket for continued to be active for another five years and it was discontinued in 2010.

3. A Shakespearean Tragedy: Abraham Shakespeare’s Murder

This story, unlike the others, isn’t about a criminal who won the lottery—but a tragic victim of one. In 2006, Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the Florida lottery. After taking the lump sum payout of $17 million, Shakespeare’s life began to spiral. He was overwhelmed by people constantly asking him for money, and he quickly found himself surrounded by people who didn’t have his best interests at heart.

Enter Dorice “Dee Dee” Moore, a woman who pretended to be Shakespeare’s friend. She convinced him she could help him manage his money and, over time, began siphoning his fortune. Eventually, she murdered Shakespeare and buried his body under a concrete slab in her backyard.

Shakespeare’s case became infamous, not only for the tragedy of his murder but for the fact that Moore used his money to fund a lavish lifestyle while he disappeared. She was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

4. The Benefits Abuser Who Won Big

Roland McLaughlin, a bouncer from Manchester, UK, had been collecting government benefits for three years, claiming that debilitating back pain prevented him from working. While this might seem legitimate, McLaughlin “forgot” to mention that during this time, he had won £62,950 in the lottery.

Despite his lottery win, McLaughlin continued to collect £10,000 in benefits, fraudulently claiming financial hardship. Eventually, his dishonesty caught up with him, and he was charged with four counts of fraud. In court, McLaughlin’s defense pointed out that he had no prior criminal record and was facing financial struggles despite the lottery win.

In the end, McLaughlin escaped jail time and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service. Still, his case leaves a bitter taste, showing how greed can make even a lottery win seem insufficient.

5. The $3 Million Bank Robber

In 1998, Timothy Elliott, a career criminal with a history of bank robberies, had a stroke of luck that most law-abiding citizens could only dream of. After being convicted of robbing two banks in the 1990s and spending time in prison, Elliott turned his life around—or so it seemed. He was out on parole when, in 2007, he bought a lottery ticket and won a massive $3 million in the Massachusetts Lottery.

Elliott’s victory was short-lived, however. As part of his parole agreement, he was forbidden from gambling or buying lottery tickets. By purchasing the winning ticket, Elliott violated the terms of his release. Authorities quickly confiscated his winnings, and Elliott was sent back to jail.

While his crime wasn’t directly related to the lottery, his story adds to the growing list of criminals who seemed to have all the luck—only to lose it in the end.

6. The $1 Million Drug Dealer

In 2014, Ronnie Music Jr., a Georgia resident, won $3 million in the state lottery. Most people would have considered retiring or investing the money wisely, but Music had other plans. Rather than using his newfound wealth to turn his life around, he decided to double down on his side hustle as a drug dealer.

Music took his lottery winnings and invested in a methamphetamine distribution operation. Over the course of several months, he worked with a group of accomplices to purchase and distribute large quantities of drugs across multiple states. Law enforcement eventually caught on to his operation, and in 2016, Music was arrested for conspiracy to distribute meth.

At his trial, prosecutors revealed that Music had funneled nearly $500,000 of his lottery winnings into the drug trade. In the end, he was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for his crimes, proving that even a lottery jackpot couldn’t fix his criminal tendencies.

7. The Child Support Evader Turned Lottery Winner

Timothy Poole, a convicted sex offender from Florida, shocked the public when he won $3 million in the Florida Lottery in 2014. Poole’s criminal history included charges of sexual battery against a 9-year-old boy in 1999. After serving a prison sentence and registering as a sex offender, Poole led a relatively quiet life—until his sudden lottery win made headlines.

What made Poole’s story even more controversial was his history of evading child support payments. Despite his criminal past, Poole’s ticket was legally purchased, and there was no mechanism in place to stop him from claiming the prize. His win reignited debates about whether convicted criminals should be allowed to collect large sums of money from the lottery, especially when they’ve harmed others in the past.

8. The $5 Million Fraudster

In 2012, Amanda Clayton, a 25-year-old from Michigan, won $1 million from a state lottery game. Clayton, however, had been collecting welfare benefits at the time, and rather than notifying the authorities of her win, she continued to collect food stamps and government aid—despite her newfound fortune.

Clayton’s case drew significant media attention as the public was outraged that someone with such wealth could continue to take advantage of taxpayer-funded assistance. Eventually, she was charged with fraud and sentenced to probation. In a tragic twist, Clayton died of a drug overdose just a year after winning her lottery fortune, leaving behind a legacy of scandal and misuse of public funds.

Why Criminals Keep Winning Big

Criminals winning the lottery seem to defy logic and fairness, but these stories remind us that luck and justice don’t always align. Whether it’s a drug dealer, a child support evader, or someone with a shady past, the randomness of the lottery can sometimes deliver wealth into the hands of those who least deserve it. And while authorities can seize assets in certain circumstances, such as when winnings are directly tied to criminal activity, there’s no universal law that prevents criminals from purchasing tickets or claiming prizes.

Is There Justice in the World?

These stories highlight a deep irony in how the lottery works. Ordinary, hard-working people buy tickets hoping for a life-changing win, yet sometimes, those who engage in criminal behavior walk away with the jackpot. The randomness of it all underscores that while the lottery is a game of chance, it doesn’t discriminate based on morals, past actions, or intentions.

While some may argue that everyone has the right to play and win, these cases challenge our understanding of fairness, especially when the winners continue to engage in criminal activities or have harmed others in the past.