Powerball: Iowa woman pleads innocent in Powerball lottery theft
A Fonda, Iowa, woman has pleaded innocent to theft for allegedly claiming a $100,000 lottery prize after several people had pooled money to buy tickets.
Mary Farrell, 54, is charged in Buena Vista County District Court with one count of first-degree theft. She entered her plea Monday.
Farrell had presented a Powerball ticket matching five numbers from the Dec. 31 to claim a $100,000 prize. A group of Albert City, Iowa, residents contacted the Buena Vista Sheriff's Office in January, asking the sheriff to investigate the purchase of the ticket.
The investigation alleged that Farrell claimed the winning ticket as her own even though the ticket was bought with money pooled together from many other people.
District Judge Nancy L. Whittenburg scheduled trial for May 18.