A North Carolina lottery winner used part of her $188 million Powerball jackpot to bail her convict fiancé out of jail — twice.
Lamar (Hot Sauce) McDow, accused of trafficking and intending to sell heroin, was released from a Brunswick County jail last week on $6 million bail.
While bondsmen do not have to release the name of who posted an inmate's bail, McDow's Powerball millionaire fiancée, Marie Holmes, likely footed the bill. Prosecutors said she bailed him out of jail once before, paying $3 million in March just weeks after she won the lottery, WWAY reported.
McDow, who has a long criminal history including assault and drug possession convictions, was arrested in November following a yearlong investigation into drug trafficking rings. He was charged with trafficking heroin and possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver heroin.
While he was behind bars, Holmes won a $188 million Powerball jackpot. She took home $88 million after taxes when she decided to take the lump sum.
(See N.C. Powerball lottery winner claims share of jackpot worth $188 million, Lottery Post, Feb. 24, 2015.)
While holding a giant check at a Powerball press conference, she told local media she wanted to use the cash to finish college and set up tuition funds for her four children.
The single mom said was forced to quit her jobs at Walmart and McDonald's because she needed to take care of her kids full time. One of her sons has cerebral palsy, she said.
"This is all for them," she said of her children. "All the struggle I ever went through, it's all for them. Money doesn't change it, but money's going to help me."
Holmes also said she planned to give some of her winnings to her church and donate to cerebral palsy organizations, the Wilmington Star News reported.
Weeks after her windfall, she paid $3 million to bail her beau out of jail.
But McDow was arrested again in July for violating the curfew requirements put in place after his release. He again walked away from jail Aug. 5 after posting a $6 million bail.
Holmes took to Facebook to defend her spending habits.
"What Y'all need to be worried about is Y'all money and not how I spend mine this is benefitting Y'all how? And no he's no drug dealer or user but who are Y'all to judge anybody? I will definitely pray for Y'all because it's much need...they talked about Jesus so I'm not surprised Y'all are talking about me but be blessed though," she posted on WWAY's Facebook page.
It's not clear if Holmes has spent any of the cash on her kids or her church as she originally promised.
McDow is still awaiting trial. He is now wearing a GPS tracker.
Waiting for chapter 2 !!
Bail seems to be set excessively high: Was it set high because they knew his girlfriend was a Jackpot Winner?
Small world, I knew a guy that wanted to win power-ball so he could buy his brothers freedom.
He told me he could buy off a few people and talked like it would be easy, his brother was serving
life for murder. Why would her bo need to sell drugs if she had 88 million, the drug trade must
pay very well or it could be a setup
RL
I felt angry and sick to my stomach when I read that Marie Holmes spent $9m on bail for her boyfriend! There will be more legal fees to come on his upcoming trial. She is down to $70 something Million. I found myself thinking how much I had wished that anyone else would have won instead of her!
It was reported that she still lives in a trailer! At the rate she is going, she may as well as stay there! She will likely end up broke in several years.
I can't help but wonder why on earth would she and her boyfriend be in any way (directly or indirectly), involved in a life of crime, when she has all that money! One would have thought that both would have retired from any such activities (if involved in).
I wish that Marie Holmes would have done right by her kids and dumped her boyfriend a long time ago. I don't care if he is the father of any or all of her children. It doesn't sound like a good environment for children to grow up in. She could allow supervised visitation to his child(ren), if they have any together.
Just imagine how many people could have benefited from that $9Million if she had donated it to the Salvation Army instead!
Some day I think Marie Holmes is going to wake up broke and filled with bitter, deep regret on the money that she spent on her current boyfriend. I am talking about a day in the future, long after they have broken up and she is getting ready to go to work at McDonald's.
I hope that she will wise up real fast and make some drastic changes in her life so that doesn't happen. However, if what appears to me to be where she is heading, I at least hope she doesn't dare claim to be a victim of "The Lottery Curse!"
Well, I've given my two cents. I am fully aware that how Ms Holmes spends her money is none of my business. I am merely commenting on an article that has been posted.
I think it was. Bail on people who have been charged with murder is far less.
Of course they knew she was the lottery winner when they set bail! Why do you think it was set so high?
Ms Holmes paid it the first time and they knew she would pay it again. The Brunswick county officials are no dummies!
She didn't have to (I and don't think should have) pay his bail!
Fsad story, a fool and his money are soon parted.
I hope she wakes up one day and realizes beore it is too late, tat it is time to make changes to her lifestyle and her spending habits. Of course, we only know the sensationalistic headlines. She may habe planned ahead for her chilpdren....
On April 2016, she will owe the federal government the balance of her taxes. She better be careful on how she spends her money as on the surface she doesn't appear to have any intelligence or common sense.
The attorneys defending her boyfriend are already salivating at the potential windfall coming their way.
Ahh the loser that screwed us all out of a big jackpot is back in the news again.
What an idiot, I hope she ends up worse off than David Lee Edwards.
Bail bondsmen and the government make so much $$$ off of dumb criminals. If you're a criminal and you get caught it's really in your best interest to just STAY IN JAIL. When you stay in jail you're basically giving the middle finger to bail bondsmen and the government by not giving them a dime. These idiots don't realize that the government and bail bondsmen are greedy crooks. Giving money to greedy crooks just makes you poor.
I agree.
She should have left the area and relocated to a safe neighborhood for the sake of her children. Staying in a trailer on account of her boyfriend is just another example of the lack of judgement.
if she doesn't wise up this fairy tale of rags to riches will not end well.
Exactly, more greedy crooks who are looking to take advantage of her.
They know she is a lottery winner, so instead of charging $500 an hour for attorney's fees, they'll hit her up at $5,000 an hour I guarantee.
She might as well just start flushing stacks of $100 bills down the toilet, the money would end up going to a better place LOL.
This is so sad and depressing. Marie has so much money that she could get her and all her children out of this lifestyle and move. She has the chance to give her children a nice, safe life but nope she continues to hang out with shady people who are obviously leaching off of her. I feel sorry for those kids. I hope she at least put some money away for them for their future but I doubt that.
Bail money is not a fine or fee. It is usually returned when the accused doesn't flee.
Marie needs to wisen up and realize that her past life needs to go if she wants to have any money left for the future. I'm sure the government and lawyers wouldn't mind taking a big chunk of that money from her and she's making it too easy for them. The media is also loving it.
She won and you didn't--get over it. She isn't the first lottery winner to do dumb things and won't be the last. I am disappointed that she bailed him out the second time. He knew what his curfew was and broke it. He was caught with 8000 bags of heroin that's why his bail/bond was so high--but she says he's not a drug dealer. She's not too bright. He is going to end up in prison anyway and she can't bail him out of that.
Yeah she won & I didn't, but I play harder I guarantee & I don't use cheats like she obviously did.
Anybody here deserved to win more than this piece of $hit.
You really think she cheated by buying some quick picks?
Enjoy your day, JJ.
Oh for gods sake, lotteries are NOT GAMES OF SKILL!!!!
Why would her bo need to sell drugs if she had 88 million,
Some people just like the lifestyle. They like the thrill of associating with thugs, feeling powerful and in charge, and feeling like they are outsmarting the law. Remember Aaron Hernandez? He certainly didn't need drug money. He was wealthy until the lifestyle he loved got him tossed into prison.
Ms Holmes is Right. It's her money and she can do what she wants with it. Whether she succeeds or fails in her choices, she is the one who has to live with the consequences.
He was already in jail facing serious charges and the bail set before she won the lottery. He's part of a large heroin trafficking ring. It was more than reasonable to set bail at 3 million and double the bail when he violated. She may get 6 million back, tho I bet he will run, forfeiting her 6 million, with her blessing.
Marie shd consider the fact that she and her children are sitting ducks. Any criminal could decide to kidnap her or her kids for ransom which does not guarantee safe return. If she were smart, and she is not, she would sever all ties with this guy and his associates and get out of Dodge...
Love is blind. When a person is in love he or she does irrational things. Such as what Marie Holmes is doing.
When I win big then I will be looked at by the world. The same people who are judging Ms. Holmes will judge me.
I do not expect to make major mistakes but sometimes irrational thoughts will occur in lottery winners. The change of lifestyle will be a culture shock.
Now is the time to write down my plans on what I will do when I win. I will be to emotional when it happens.
Not many of you all know the laws in NC. If you are out on bond for a charge and get arrested or charged again while you are out on bond, then your previous bond will be doubled. It had nothing to do with who she was. Get over yourselves, it had nothing to do with her winning the lottery. The first bond was set so high due to him trafficking heroin. The second bond of $6,000,000 was because he was out on bond for his first string of charges.
its obvious she has very little intention of changing her ways and as I've previously stated :
"she'll be broke in 3 and 1/2 years"
I reckon that by either the end of 2016 or possibly the start of 2017 we'll be reading 1 of 2-3 stories about her
but $2 says we'll more then likely be reading about the final chapter of her sad tale of rags to riches and back to
ye olde rag pile life with her complaining about how even the " " charities are laughing in her face and denying any claims and her kids in foster care
It's just a drop in the ocean for her right now, but she better not do it too often.
Music... i believe the difference between Marie and the rest of the folks on here is that we learn from lottery history idiots(i.e.Jack Whittaker/others) and she has absolutely no desire to learn or listen. Honestly, what rational person bails a person out a 2nd time for actions taken that was an intentional probation violation, all stemming from the first incident ??
Oh I get the fact it's her money........it's just sad, that part of a financial windfall is being flushed down the toilet, when everyone on this site knows what phenomenal things each one of us could do to help others.
Probably all of us on LP has one time or another has vividly imagined what we would do with $80 Million+ in our bank accounts. Unfortunately, it leaves a bad taste when this kind of stupidity is so prevalent.
Wouldn't it be nice if we COULD fix stupid ?
No matter what type of person she is, the bottom line is that the government will find a way to get a piece of the pie. I think $9 million is ridiculous!! It's always about the money!!
Yep, that's how bail bondsmen make their money. They collect ten percent of the bail up front from the defendant, post a bond to the court for the whole bail amount, and assume responsibility for making sure the defendant shows up for trial. So Marie actually saved $600,000 by posting her boyfriend's bail herself with no bail bondsman in between. Of course, she also could have saved herself a lot of time and trouble by just dumping this loser, but that's a different conversation.
And if it is as jmw8138 says, and "Hot Sauce" is still out on bail for the original $3 million, I am fairly certain that his girlfriend gets her $9 million total back when he shows up for trial, assuming that the prosecutors combine both sets of charges into one case. Yes, the government side will hem and haw, and stall for as long as possible so they can squeeze some extra interest money out of that $9 million, but eventually they will have to give it back.
The comment by maringoman above about her boyfriend's lawyers above are also spot-on. Depending on how unscrupulous his lawyers are, they could drag this thing out into one long and expensive ordeal by selling her a (crack) pipe dream about how they can get "Hot Sauce" off, scott-free.
I'm just going to go ahead & say it right now: I'm afraid she's going to end up with Dave Edwards & Jack Whitaker as a complete lotto loser. I hope not, but she's already spending gazillions of dollars to bail out a drug dealing loser; god knows what she'll spend her money on next...
Such a sad tale. Its certainly her story. It will play out accordingly. There will be those who see and speak judgementally concerning her. There will be others who will pray for her (Im in that circle). But the train wreck is playing out in front of the public, its not if it will wreck, its only when will it completely wreck. Guns in the home around kids, felons in the home around the kids, in and out of jail in front of the kids, and $9 million on bail instances is incredibly ridiculous. I hope the kids come out of the wreck safe and in a positive way. We all believe we would be more responsible with the money, time and chance hopefully will give some of us on here the opportunity. I have had a written 40 page plan for 10 years, just waiting for my turn.