Ct. Powerball lottery winners signed affidavit swearing they are only members of trust

Dec 7, 2011, 9:11 am (33 comments)

Powerball

The trust fund established by three Greenwich men who claimed the $254 million Powerball prize last month will expire in one year and the money will then go into a second trust, according to a copy of the trust agreement obtained by local media.

The three men signed an affidavit the day after a press conference announcing the Putnam Avenue Family Trust as the winner, swearing that the second trust — named the West Putnam Avenue Trust — has no silent partners and that no person ineligible to win the lottery is a member of the West Putnam Avenue Trust.

Timothy Davidson, Brandon Lacoff and Greg Sizemore formed the Putnam Avenue Family Trust on Nov. 22, according to documents provided to the Courant through a Freedom of Information request.

The records show that Davidson purchased the winning ticket at a Stamford gas station a day before the drawing. When the three men showed up at lottery headquarters on Nov. 28 to collect their winnings, Davidson first had to sign a document relinquishing his rights to the winning ticket to the Putnam Avenue Family Trust. A lump sum of $103.58 million was paid out after taxes.

Almost immediately after the trust was announced as the winner, rumors circulated that the three men were a front for a party that wanted to remain anonymous.

The day following the press conference, as speculation increased, attorney Gregory J. Pond e-mailed lottery officials a copy of the affidavit for review and offering to have the three winners sign it.

The affidavit states "no one other than one or more of the following individuals are the lifetime beneficiaries of principal or income of the West Putnam Avenue Trust."

It ends "this affidavit is made to the Connecticut Lottery Corporation with the understanding that it is relying thereon in determining that no ineligible person, as defined under all applicable law, rules and/or regulations, is a lifetime beneficiary or principal or income of said trust."

Computer records from the Stamford store show the winning ticket was purchased at 7:20 p.m. on Nov 1.

The three money managers, who work at Belpoint Asset Management, denied rumors that surfaced almost immediately after they claimed the money that they were a front for an unknown person who actually had won the lottery but did not want their name to become public.

The trust hired the powerful New York public relations firm Rubenstein Associates, denied there was a silent partner and pledged to use some of the money they had won for charitable purposes. On Sunday, it announced it was donating $1 million to four charities that work with war veterans.

Lottery officials have said that it is not unusual for winners to set up a trust for their lottery winnings and that they consider the three men legitimate winners.

Hartford Courant

Comments

PERDUE

Why is there such a big deal over this jackpot?

It boggles the mind. Let these folks enjoy their winnings!!

If this is what happens when you win a jackpot, then I'll be happy to win on the lower tiers on a regular basis.

This is beyond stupid!!!

mcginnin56

Let these guy's enjoy their limelight. They won, let them have fun. There are so many swirling conspiracy theories about an anonymous winner, did they give enough to charitable causes, are they a front??? Blah, blah, blah.....Puke

Let it go, we all (hopefully) will have our big day, you wouldn't want someone raining on your parade.Wink

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Dec 7, 2011

Let these guy's enjoy their limelight. They won, let them have fun. There are so many swirling conspiracy theories about an anonymous winner, did they give enough to charitable causes, are they a front??? Blah, blah, blah.....Puke

Let it go, we all (hopefully) will have our big day, you wouldn't want someone raining on your parade.Wink

I Agree! Give it a rest.

Starr920

Quote: Originally posted by PERDUE on Dec 7, 2011

Why is there such a big deal over this jackpot?

It boggles the mind. Let these folks enjoy their winnings!!

If this is what happens when you win a jackpot, then I'll be happy to win on the lower tiers on a regular basis.

This is beyond stupid!!!

The trust hired the powerful New York public relations firm Rubenstein Associates, denied there was a silent partner and pledged to use some of the money they had won for charitable purposes. On Sunday, it announced it was donating $1 million to four charities that work with war veterans.


Pretty much says it all right there - issuing press releases through PR firm to clear their namesWink

Mega Millions is now $100 million - as soon as someone hits, the media will finally drop the Putnam Avenue Trust and move on to the next story. 


KSplayer's avatarKSplayer

Quote: Originally posted by Starr920 on Dec 7, 2011

The trust hired the powerful New York public relations firm Rubenstein Associates, denied there was a silent partner and pledged to use some of the money they had won for charitable purposes. On Sunday, it announced it was donating $1 million to four charities that work with war veterans.


Pretty much says it all right there - issuing press releases through PR firm to clear their namesWink

Mega Millions is now $100 million - as soon as someone hits, the media will finally drop the Putnam Avenue Trust and move on to the next story. 


We were just talking about this the other day at my husbands company Christmas Party and someone asked what we would do if we won 100 million dollar jackpot maybe it is a sign of good things to come lol. Hope these people enjoy their winnings i know if it was me i would!

faber98

still not buying it. they just claimed that no one ineligible to win it didn't. doesn't  mean they aren't covering for someone eligible. having trouble with the 1.00 ticket split 3 ways. makes no sense at all. don't care but still something's rotten in denmark on this one.

winwi5

These guys collected this money for one of their investors they are still covering up their is no way that 3 people purchase 1 lottery ticket impossible.

When 3 or more people play the lottery they purchase anywhere from 10-100 tickets together now that would sound believable.

golfer1960's avatargolfer1960

Hi Faber,

I agree with you something wrong here. The three way split of $1.00 is suspect plus when someone wants to protect their privacy, they usually hire an attorney and form a trust and then stay out of the press conference with the Lottery Commission.

These guys formed the trust, hired the attorney spokesperson and then showed up at the press conference and refused to answer questions. Why show up then? Did they want to promote their investment company?

Here is what I believe: They claimed the money for someone who doesn't want the IRS and Lottery Commission to know who he is. The three amigos now own all the money but have made a deal with the real winner to keep half for themselves and to ship the other half to the real winner in an off shore account.

However, this is a risky plan for the real winner because if the 3 amigos decide to keep all the money, the only way for the real winner to get it back would be to go to court and prove that the 3 amigos violated the written agreement they had. If that happens, we (including the IRS and Lottery Commission) would know the real winner behind the 3 amigos. The the real winner in this scenario would be in a very vulernable position.

Unless the real winner is a gangster and has lots of guns! Wink

Anyway, what do you think of my theory?

Thanks, Golfer

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by winwi5 on Dec 7, 2011

These guys collected this money for one of their investors they are still covering up their is no way that 3 people purchase 1 lottery ticket impossible.

When 3 or more people play the lottery they purchase anywhere from 10-100 tickets together now that would sound believable.

I believe it is only these three winners [congratulations, by the way].  It is a whimsical, doable idea ... one $.33, one $.33, and one $.34 gamble on rotation. 

A great way for three responsible people, who also want to be gamblers, to ALWAYS have enough money to play each large, multi-million dollar net drawing; without a spouse getting, understandibly, upset with greater odds of losing each draw and taking $$$ away from the family's savings or groceries monies.

Lurking

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by winwi5 on Dec 7, 2011

These guys collected this money for one of their investors they are still covering up their is no way that 3 people purchase 1 lottery ticket impossible.

When 3 or more people play the lottery they purchase anywhere from 10-100 tickets together now that would sound believable.

Ok......, so if these guys are responsible for a MEGA COVERUPwhy don't we just contract the FBI, NCIS, CIA and all local, state and federal authorities to bring these <snip>s  to justice???

Do I hear death penalty Angry??? Forget about our economy in the toilet, global wars, starvation, human rights violations, global warming, depletion of our natural resources....... these guys had the GALL, to win powerball What?

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

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHH I swear a few of you people R enough to drive to the rest of us to drinking moonshine

TheRightPrice

Quote: Originally posted by PERDUE on Dec 7, 2011

Why is there such a big deal over this jackpot?

It boggles the mind. Let these folks enjoy their winnings!!

If this is what happens when you win a jackpot, then I'll be happy to win on the lower tiers on a regular basis.

This is beyond stupid!!!

I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!I Agree!

T12U

Looks like a job for Seal Team 6 to raid their compound and obtain evidence of their cover up. Seriously though, who cares if they are trying to cover up. Someone won, it was claimed, and jackpot resets. End of story. And also to people who are saying how can they split a one dollar ticket.. well if you had an agreement with others to take turn buying the lotto, you can split the winnings into however many you please, even if it's just a dollar. This is what they call fractions people. 

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

A few people who seem to be fixated on the "single one dollar ticket" aspect of this win by three people are apparently still missing (ignoring?) the point that they may have purchased multiple "single one dollar tickets."

But I'm not going to say a word about it.

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