Lottery winners broke, busted

Jun 25, 2009, 12:57 am (22 comments)

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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — For someone who struck it rich, William Rivenburgh had fairly modest plans about how to spend his lottery winnings three years ago:

Pay off debts, make home repairs and possibly take a family trip to Disney World. Whether any of those things happened is unclear.

What is clear is that the money Rivenburgh has gotten so far from the $1 million scratch-off ticket he won in 2006 seems to have evaporated. He doesn't have enough money to make $5,000 bail after he was arrested May 25 for alleged drug dealing.

Caught up in the same investigation, his wife, Alissia, 33, is also being held at the Schenectady County jail on $10,000 bail.

They are charged with one count each of criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies. The Rivenburghs were arraigned June 17 and returned to court on Monday where they learned a grand jury indicted them. The indictment has not been handed up.

Court papers show the husband and wife allegedly made a $50 cocaine deal at their second-floor apartment at 99 Odell St. in the Central State Street neighborhood. The ordeal is far different than the joyous day they had Nov. 14, 2006, when state Lottery officials in Schenectady hosted the couple at a news conference to announce their win.

"I kept looking at it," William Rivenburgh told the Times Union at the time he won. "I didn't believe it at first."

Back then, he earned about $50,000 a year as a security guard for Entergy Northeast Nuclear. He was slated to receive 20 annual payments of $50,000 before taxes.

At the time, they were also raising four young children — two nephews, a niece and one of their own.

The couple married on Valentine's Day 2004, just before he was deployed to Kuwait for 10 months.

Times Union

Comments

jackpotismine's avatarjackpotismine

Don't blame it on the Lottery! It's not "the lottery curse". They were into drugs before they won the lottery. Some people get a chance in a lifetime and blow it! I have no sympathy for them or pity. Let this be a lesson to one and all.

awwcrap's avatarawwcrap

Stupid peopleConehead

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by jackpotismine on Jun 25, 2009

Don't blame it on the Lottery! It's not "the lottery curse". They were into drugs before they won the lottery. Some people get a chance in a lifetime and blow it! I have no sympathy for them or pity. Let this be a lesson to one and all.

Crazy  I wasn't gonna say a word till U put that up

CaesarsGhost

Guilty by Lotto... hahaha

it's not the lottery's fault, it's the fault of the people who seem to win the lottery.  It's less so a curse then it is personal susceptability...

Look at all the other Millionaires in the world, they don't seem to squander their fortunes in a year or 2.

Raven62's avatarRaven62

An intervention can help people who struggle with a variety of mental health conditions and addictive behaviors but who are in denial about their situation or refuse treatment.

Some indications that a person one may benefit from an intervention include:
- Health problems because of the addiction or other disorder
- The person harms or threatens family, friends or strangers
- The persons Children are neglected or abused
- Job loss
- Financial problems
- Homelessness
- Risk of suicide or self-harm
- Driving under the influence
- Loss or alienation of friends
- Compulsive gambling
- Legal problems or criminal activity
- Previous unsuccessful attempts at treatment

An intervention is an organized, planned process in which family and friends, and sometimes colleagues and clergy or faith leaders, join together in a meeting to compassionately confront a person in an effort to encourage him or her to seek treatment for alcoholism, addiction or another mental health problem.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

I thought NY pays annuities for scratchoff jackpots? If I'm correct then how can the brother be broke and the annuities go on for like 20 years?

Littleoldlady's avatarLittleoldlady

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Jun 25, 2009

I thought NY pays annuities for scratchoff jackpots? If I'm correct then how can the brother be broke and the annuities go on for like 20 years?

Maybe he sold it to one of those rip off companies that buy annuities.

adamc224

i hate these stories... i just can't stand them. anyone that is blessed like this and blows it. it makes you think why would God give them this money? they tell the good ones too... BUT like all news their are more bad ones than good ones!!! i hope that when i win big that i will end up with more money than what i won... and not in some gutter or jail... let this be a lesson to anyone who wins in the future!

 

The key to keeping riches is to hold on to what you have don't go crazy and give when God tells you to give and he will bless you even more! 

"That is just my belief"

islanddude

Walking out of the store with a lottery ticket in your hand - Ecstatic

Finding out that the ticket just won you a bunch of money - Catatonic

Not having a plan in place to set you and your family up for life  - Idiotic

 

As I always tell my friends, I already have a plan, I just need the money for the plan to go into effect.

clarthestar's avatarclarthestar

Fools, Fools, <snip> Fools..............always remember to keep something for rainy days.  but guess what money in the hand of fools dont last.  Wish them luck

 

This post has been automatically changed by the Lottery Post computer system to remove inappropriate content and/or spam.

charmed7's avatarcharmed7

OH WELL, some people don't need to get that sum of money!

I hope the couple brought SOMETHING to show for all that money!

adamc224

Quote: Originally posted by islanddude on Jun 26, 2009

Walking out of the store with a lottery ticket in your hand - Ecstatic

Finding out that the ticket just won you a bunch of money - Catatonic

Not having a plan in place to set you and your family up for life  - Idiotic

 

As I always tell my friends, I already have a plan, I just need the money for the plan to go into effect.

I Agree!

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

Love the adult answers or opinions verses those made from less then matured individuals.

One can judge a circumstance, yet not JUDGE the persons. There in lays the difference between being an adult and remaining neutral.

I prefered the commentary about intervention, informative without casting stones.

I lost money in the stock market and I can assure folks that it was a FOOLISH RISK and one that I will not endure again. But that doesnt make my being a FOOL. Big difference.

dk1421's avatardk1421

It says they tried to make a deal at their "apartment". That's different from the "home repairs" he mentioned, meaning at one time they had a house.

As for money for bail, maybe they haven't received their payment yet this year?

What worries me is the fact they don't mention his job. Did he quit? Was he fired? Maybe he was laid off? $50,000 before taxes doesn't cover a lot. He still needed that job.

What about the kids? If they are both in jail, where are the 4 kids?

There are too many questions here and not enough answers.

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