She had less than $5 cash with her when she filed for bankruptcy two years ago, but Tuesday, a Merritt Island, Florida, woman held a giant novelty check for more than $200 million in lottery winnings.
Federal court documents show Robyn Ann Collier's personal property on April 30, 2012 included $4.73 "cash on hand." In February this year, her boyfriend was laid off from his job at a boat-building company, according to their attorney, David Presnick.
But in March, Collier bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket at a Sunoco gas station on South Courtenay Parkway on Merritt Island, according to a release. She and her boyfriend, Raymond Moyer, had the winning numbers.
"We didn't know we had won until the next morning when the numbers were on the news," Collier said in a release. "I paused the TV and ran to get the ticket to double check the numbers and when I realized they all matched I jumped off the couch in excitement and told Raymond we had won."
"I didn't believe her until I saw the store where we purchased the ticket on the news," Moyer said in a release. "It was definitely a shock, but it is an incredible blessing that will allow us to do many things we would not have had the opportunity to do before."
The Merritt Island winners split the $414 million jackpot with one other winner from Maryland — nobody has claimed that prize yet.
The winnings were awarded in one lump-sum payment: $115,448,968. The money was deposited in the Cobie and Seamus Trust, named after Moyer and Collier's dogs, according to Florida Lottery Spokeswoman Shelly Gerteisen. Moyer and Collier are members of the trust. Gerteisen explained that a trust is not uncommon for winners of large jackpots.
Collier said in a video that she still plans to work. Moyer said they would make investments and go traveling — he wants to take Collier to Ireland.
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Now thats wassup!
Very cool! Congrats to them on their big win.
And they are going to go to ND football games! My type of people! We are ND! We are ND!!!!!
What a blessings...I'm happy for them.
I saw that in the news yesterday, too!!! Yeah baby!!! GO IRISH!!!
Nice looking couple. God bless them.
Congrats to them
Congrats May God continue to Bless and Protect you all I'm claiming my Blessing its Coming lol
congratulation Robyn & Raymond
I'm not jealous of them, I am happy for them. That is unusual.
Why is it that nearly every person who wins a huge jackpot say, "I'm going to continue to work"? Is this a required statement to make in public so it would seem you're going to stay grounded? If i take home anything over 5 million, I will never work again! I'll have hobbies but as far as working, nope.
Congrats, this is a great story... I'm leaving my job with a 2 million win
Despite my state of florida not allowing anonimity, isnt there a way for their attorneys to claim this in their names (attorneys) but regardless it goes to the trust the lucky winners established.
Because as we can see the media is already digging into their records, talking about lost jobs, bankruptcy and who knows what else may come up in the near future. No one wants to deal with all that!!
So my question is , is there a way their attorneys can go around this? (loophole i shd say). I know it may cost a lot of money , but its something i would def consider if i won "even' 1M.
she won't continue to work. if she has co-workers they will sneer and ridicule her for keeping a job that someone who really needs it could have. she'll tire of being around working stiffs and they will roll their eyes when the paychecks are handed out and she takes it. ludicrous statement by her to say that she will continue to work, but probably just caught up in the euphoria of it all. life is too short to get up and go to work when you have 100 million dollars to play with. imagine taking orders from a boss that you could buy and sell. maybe she doesn't want to spend 24 hours with him. but she can figure out a way to get around that.
I completely agree, maybe she was caught up in the moment. She needs to think about all the people who would be after that money. Car accident in the parking lot, spilling hot coffee on a co-worker, to much liability for her to keep working.
These are the stories I like to hear, people who actually needed the money. Good for them.
My sister lives about 25 minutes from that store! She had purchase some tickets on that day, but not that store! Hope they will spend it wisely!
Congrats to them!!!
Some people get blessed just at the right time.
wtg winners! The other winner hasn't stepped forward yet. Is that a misplaced or discarded ticket? Or is it someone trying
to figure out how to avoid the media frenzy? I sure wouldn't want my life made public or even any so called friends or family
to know. I have a few people I'd tell and that's it...and that's probably too many.
She should do the right thing and repay her debts from the bankruptcy since she has all this sudden wealth now. NO EXCUSES!
If I win that kind of money I am going to quit in style and do my happy dance out the door in the middle of a shift.
It would be interesting to see what the news reporters and investigators find on me since my life is so boring...lol
I would love to see them try to dig something up.
Must be why my numbers always come close a lot of times, but never wins! lol
I 2nd that Easy- its one of the reasons l returned all the outstanding library books from way back, have no Facebook account either. They probably going to dig anyway- l will hand them a shovel though.
Hahaha be sure to post the video on YouTube if you ever quit like that.
I sure will!
USAMEGA/Lotterypost will get the exculsive video before it goes viral. lol
Hey whats up with the web site ---<snip>.com ??????
Congrats!!
BTW, if she wants to continue to work, she should become her own boss and do something on her own. Much more rewarding and would avoid potential issues with co-workers mentioned above.
where is <snip>.com the web page is down??????
where is _ US_Lotteries_ com
Halfway decent story for once, I however don't care for the consistent florida wins as of late either. I hope they don't waste their money on a stupid bicycle like that one winner did.
Great to see that someone who needed the $dough won. Congratulations to the happy couple.
I really do not care if they spend it wisely since it is their money, not mine. How a person spends their cash should not matter to anyone except if that the source of that money is from taxpayer dollars (i.e. welfare, government workers, etc.). They do not fall into that category, so I say go buy nice cars, nice clothes, nice house; fly first class all over the world and stay in best hotels/villas. Take luxury cruises and go on safaris in different African countries. Visit all of the historic sites around the world. You only live once...spend that money since you cannot take it with you when you die. Otherwise, if they don't spend it and stay parked in one place, their lives will be miserable with all the beggars that will surely come out of the woodwork. SPEND, SPEND, SPEND!!!
How they spend their money is their business- However....How would you feel " if" any winner took on the habit of feeding their nostrils or shooting up a vein...just asking.
Money is an obedient servant... That win is an amazing blessing! It can bless many or destroy however that free will is based on the conciousness of the winners. They choose everyday the life they want to live... just like the power you have in your everyday life. I pray they have the wisdom of great many choices . And the echoes of there positive decisions go on for a very long, generations to come in time.
And the First smart thing for them to do once they decided which way they will take the money...if they are flaky and unstable in general....yearly payments. If you always have a great game plan... lump sum. And quit your job and do something you love and want to do and learn.
However before you decide on this that and the other take a year just to head your head/ life and your trust circle in general and spring board from there and create your new life! Or really enhance the great one you already have;)))!!!
Either way their decisions are their's, and many will try to paw them for it!
With that kind of money I'd buy a half a million dallas island in Fla and stay there eating crustaceans until I grow a hard shell on my body. DISAPPEAR for 6 months or so.
Interesting question. Not asked to me, yet I know that some smaller jackpot winners did such, and I didn't have any feelings about it. After all, it was their life, money, choice, and feelings. I do recall wondering if they enjoyed that drug lifestyle though. The after knowledge gave me some peace in thinking that perhaps any sort of person could win huge amounts of money.
Anyhow, congratulations jackpot winners! I, too, am open to winning a large jackpot and finding additional things to entertain, comfort, and calm me.
Congrats to the lucky winners! Just when it seem all hope was gone, lady luck came knocking on their door!
If the state is not one with an anonymous right to claim or a state that allows you to claim with a trust (with 100% confidentiality....which can vary also), then "loopholes" are not available. Even if their attorney claimed it, they would have to disclose for whom they were claiming it.
Accidents at work and on work property would make the employer the legally responsible party. There also is likely an arbitration in place for all employees also so lawsuits would be very rare.
While that maybe a public statement, one never knows fully the final consequences except the person(s) making it. Maybe by saying they are going to continue to work it means they are volunteering someplace or starting a non profit organization.
I agree with you on hobbies if I won that much. Even hobbies take some effort/work
Might have to start a non profit that I have thought of (while making my current plans after the big win).
Kudos to those folks. I hope they manage their windfall well.
..arbitration agreement...