A Bay County, Michigan man who won a $2 million Lottery prize is scheduled to be sentenced next month on  drug and other charges in Isabella County Trial Court.

Leroy Norman Fick, 59, of Auburn sparked a national controversy when he continued to use food stamps after winning the money on the state’s “Make Me Rich” Lottery television show in June 2010.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of driving with a suspended license and one count of possession of hydromorphone in Judge Mark Duthie’s Mt. Pleasant courtroom Thursday.

Hydromorphone is a synthetic opioid.

Duthie sent Fick’s sentencing for 2 p.m. Jan. 12.

During the plea hearing Thursday morning, Fick’s attorney, John Wilson of Midland, said his client understood what he was giving up by pleading rather than going to trial.

After Fick spoke and spelled his name for the record, Duthie apparently recognized him, and asked if he won the Lottery.  Fick said he did, and went on to tell Duthie his winnings totaled $2 million.

Fick, who appeared on The Learning Channel’s reality show “Lottery Changed My Life,” after winning the lump sum from the Michigan Lottery, was arrested by Michigan State Police troopers for speeding on East M-20 in Chippewa Township Sept. 18, according to court records.

He was also arrested for having the drug, for which he did not have a prescription.

He was pulled over again for speeding Sept. 28 by Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, then again by Tribal officers Oct. 20, according to court records.

Fick gained national attention for continuing to use his Michigan Bridge Card to purchase food after winning the money.

According to a report on the Huffington Post online, Fick kept using the Bridge Card after purchasing an Audi convertible.

According to the Michigan Department of Human Services, Fick’s lump-sum Lottery prize does not count as income, which left him eligible for food stamps.

Source:  http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2011/12/09/news/doc4ee0e7cbb2e62851220729.txt?viewmode=fullstory