Police seize winning lottery ticket bought with drug money

Comment #41

KY Floyd — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:38:48 GMT

It sounds like you think some people was referring to you. If that's the case, perhaps you should reread the whole thread. I know you said the money came froma crime.

Comment #40

justxploring — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:10:37 GMT

KY Floyd,

There's no point in continuing this, because of your nasty nature. You've always been this way on LP, but I think this time you must be suffering from a very bad case of hemorrhoids.

Some people don't seem to be clever enough to figure out that the ticket (and therefore the prize) was bought with money he got from committing a crime, and is therefore subject to seizure just like any other property bought with money that was acquired through criminal activity.

Well, I guess... [ More ]

Comment #39

KY Floyd — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:53:50 GMT

your comments and Rick's have nothing to do with the article

Sure they do. The article is about seizure of property, and that's exactly what my post was about.

The man bought a lottery ticket with money from a sting operation. It was never his money.

Would it have been any different if the money had been from a sale to a real drug user instead of a sting operation? Would the money then have been his? That's where this thread started. Some people don't seem to be c... [ More ]

Comment #38

justxploring — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:50:02 GMT

Perhaps you don't know, but society is plagued by many problems resulting from gambling.

KY Floyd, I just noticed this response to my comment, and I'm not going to spend an hour defending it. Both your comments and Rick's have nothing to do with the article or the reason the man was arrested. He was NOT arrested for possession. Rick is talking about the right to put whatever we want into our bodies (I'm wasn't arguing that point) and you are comparing selling drugs to drinking alcohol and ga... [ More ]

Comment #37

KY Floyd — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:23:49 GMT

I suppose if an addict robs you at gunpoint, you'd be just fine with it?

I'm guessing you didn't actually reach that conclusion. If you think you have a point worth making perhaps you'd like to try to make it using logic or reason?

After all, it's his right to take drugs and he needs your wallet and watch to buy more. If it is someone's right to do whatever he pleases with his body, then why can't people drive drunk or high?

Hopefully you're intelligent enough to differentiate bet... [ More ]

Comment #36

Rick G — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:36:13 GMT

Nancy,

Alcohol is legal because Prohibition didn't work. During Prohibition there were gang wars and many people were killed while other organized crime activities were being funded by selling alcohol. Today's financing tool is drugs. Terrorists and most organized crime get their major funding from the profit of selling illegal drugs.

If you live in a major city you become inurred to the gang killings every day on the news. How do these gangs make their money, why do they even exist? B... [ More ]

Comment #35

justxploring — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:20:34 GMT

KY Floyd Rick

Whoa! This man was NOT arrested for using drugs. The prescription he had was legal. He was arrested for selling them. This happens all the time on this board. The right to privacy has nothing at all to do with our right to put whatever we want into our bodies.

So are you saying it's perfectly okay for someone to sell drugs, prescription or not? What if one of your kids bought his drugs? Drugs can be impure and cut with poisons. In this case, they were from a pharmacy, so they... [ More ]

Comment #34

Rick G — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:41:02 GMT

Good post.

The US government does not have the right to tell its citizens what they can or cannot put into their bodies. The Constitution says nothing about that. You know why? Because most of them were getting high on one thing or another that was available at the time.

Isn't it 4:20? , asks Thomas Jefferson.

Comment #33

KY Floyd — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:07:47 GMT

Yes, the government does have the right to seize anything and everything bought with drug money. Since drugs are illegal the alternative is to allow criminals to profit from their criminal activity. I can only assume the posters who think this guy should get to keep the winnings also think that a bank robber should be allowed to keep everything bought with money stolen from a bank, or they're unable to think clearly when somebody doesn't get a lottery prize, regardless of the reason.

As far a... [ More ]

Comment #32

ThatScaryChick — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:37:49 GMT

That may be the number one reason to have the police around.

Comment #31

spy153 — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:04:25 GMT

But without a police force, there would be total chaos everywhere.

Justx, let's not forget how sexy they are in those uniforms! OMG! I am such a sucker for a man in uniform.

Comment #30

tg636 — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:32:51 GMT

Do the police/judges have the right to seize anything and everything allegedly bought with drug money? There is seemingly no limit to this type of RICO seizure - I have read accounts of boats and cars being confiscated because a joint was found in them. They can literally take anything they feel like that the guy has. I also have very little faith that items of monetary value will be disposed of properly. The Boston Globe ran a big article recently about all the drug evidence that disappeared fr... [ More ]

Comment #29

jeffrey — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:16:43 GMT

20/20 did a report about cops targeting out of state cars in Louisiana for seizure due to traffic tickets. One was enough. They would hold the car until court and if the court deemed it necessary, the car was sold and the profits given to the police department. The money was used for ski holidays for cops.

Comment #28

chasingadream — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:10:44 GMT

o maaaaaaaan, I would be sooo mad but then again he shouldn't have asked a gas station clerk to hook him up with clients

Comment #27

johnph77 — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:31:40 GMT

That doesn't and hasn't worked. IMHO, when the users start being targeted and jailed, it'll make recreational drug use a whole lot less attractive.

Comment #26

time*treat — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:45:29 GMT

As we progress into the 21st century, our legal system seems to be reverting to the archaic ways of 16th century England, when the monarchy could take anything they wanted from the serfdom without process.

Which creates an inherent conflict of interests. An innocent person still has to spend their time and resources to fight the case. That money goes into lawyer fees and court costs.

If the person does jail time, there's plenty of money paid to house, guard(sic), and feed them. Well over... [ More ]

Comment #25

LckyLary — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:07:26 GMT

Ugh, more Dingbats. The best way to quit using drugs is to never start. You gotta be in it to lose it! It is a good question what the ticket was worth when he purchased it? An unplayed ticket is worth whatever its cost is. It would be interesting if they had confiscated an unplayed ticket or before the drawing (was it a scratch-off or other?) and if the Police had then played or checked the ticket to see if it had any value.

Comment #24

psykomo — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:45:52 GMT

JP:>>>>>>>>>>>>>THANK's UR or RYOUR >>>>>THOUGHT S >>>>>ON YOUR true^^

RUforDEATH senentence ?????TOO KILL

LOL JP on your death penality wishes to kill true USA citizen's

NOTE:

PLEA to all TOO JP for JUSTICE to ALL>>>>>BOW to JP for JUSTICE!

SUPPORT PSYMO>>>>>>AGAINST the DEATH PENALITY!!!!!!!

NO DEATH PENALITY to a US CITIZEN!!!!!!

LOL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>WHEN U WIN A >>>>>>>>>>JACKPOT

PSYKOMO... [ More ]

Comment #23

justxploring — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:17:48 GMT

It won't be long before your car can be taken because you have an unpaid parking ticket.

That's nothing new. I knew someone in 1975 who had his car towed for having too many tickets. They used to use a boot, but that was a long time ago. So what? If you violate the law too many times, you should pay the price! I guess all of us should park in front of fire hydrants and hospitals or drive 50mph past a school bus and just get away with it! Driving a car is not a right, it's a privi... [ More ]

Comment #22

psykomo — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:00:44 GMT

TJ:

I was not pleased about the LADY her son LOSING present's

or Chrimast gift's>>>>>>>goverment got UR $$$$

BUT, did HE WIN a GOVERNMENT LOTTERY>>>>>>>>>>>>TOO??

WAS the money played $$$$$$$$$$$$$$MARKED??????????????

WAS he a citizen of the US or was he about to make an app for??

YES>>>>>>>>>>>>>WE OWE, WE OWE off to WORK we GO!!

THANK you for your support TJ.....UR a great CITIZEN of USA !!!!!!

LOL

PSYKOMO... [ More ]

Comment #21

jim695 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:49:33 GMT

Spy, this is just my opinion, but I think the reason this bothers you so much is because the man has been arrested, tried and convicted in four column-inches of newsprint. The guy's obviously guilty; he's a drug dealer, after all, so why bother with a trial?

As we progress into the 21st century, our legal system seems to be reverting to the archaic ways of 16th century England, when the monarchy could take anything they wanted from the serfdom without process. This practice caused a revolu... [ More ]

Comment #20

Tenaj — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:36:25 GMT

Yep, even if they were Birthday presents or Christmas gifts. A lady was complaining when her son got busted for selling drugs and he had just recently received a huge settlement from a car accident and law enforcement took that too. So that's the price you pay for being a drug dealer. Drug dealers know this going into it.

Drug law enforcement will work better if they would just stop the drugs from coming into the country and into the city.

Comment #19

KyMystikal — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:22:14 GMT

I guess it's obvious that they don't have a program there where you can report criminal activities anonomously. An article like this tells me that if I lived there I wouldn't report anyone in the fear of repercussions.

Another thing the article said he APPARENTLY used drug money to buy the tickets.

Definition of apparently: according to what seems to be the case but may not actually be so.

I'm sure when all is said and done the drug money will have been what was used to buy the ticke... [ More ]

Comment #18

psykomo — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:41:42 GMT

??????????......too?

WAS this person play'n with marked $$

MONEY?????? IF SO THAT PERSON may

be lobster STEW

Comment #17

LuckyLilly — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:31:09 GMT

Same thing happens when people are caught poaching in my state. Everything is confiscated, even the truck they were in. If they're convicted it's all auctioned off. I think it's very fair. If they weren't out there breaking the law, we wouldn't need to be paying people to catch them. So it's only fair that when they're convicted they help pay for the resources they caused to be needed.

Comment #16

Miss Bee — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:12:23 GMT

usually any money or items of value that are confiscated during a drug arrest are auctioned off and the proceeds are returned to the local drug enforcement agency.

Comment #15

Jack Pot — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:06:54 GMT

What will happen to the clerk when this man gets out of jail? Does the press even have to mention the clerk's part in this? Is it not enough public information that a policeman had gone underground and busted this man? What happens to responsible reporting

Comment #14

pacman07 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:40:49 GMT

I don't think the guy should get to keep the ticket,because it was purchased with money he made from sellling drugs.I know some people may feel this is unfare.But the is law.If he would have purchased a car or a house the police would have also taken them away from him for the same reasons.

Comment #13

spy153 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:59:35 GMT

I've seen cars taken for that already. And I agree completely. Everything. You nailed it! You said what I was getting at. Thank you!

I see an ugly pattern developing.

Comment #12

time*treat — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:38:45 GMT

Its bothersome because drugs, money, weapons and other evidence has so often disappeared from evidence lockers that they don't even bother to report it, anymore. Much of it never makes it into the 'counting room'.

These pills magically become wrong because the person peddling them is not wearing a lab coat.

The excuse that he used 'drug money' to buy the ticket is a smokescreen for people who don't engage in much critical thinking. If the 'drug money' had been in his left pocket, wh... [ More ]

Comment #11

justxploring — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:13:56 GMT

staying at a motel on High Street,

Good catch, Coin Toss. Very observant of you! LOL

Comment #10

Coin Toss — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:04:05 GMT

Imagine the controversy if it was a jackpot and not $1,000!

But this, from the OP, c'mon:

A Maine man who was arrested Thursday for selling methadone to an undercover police officer apparently used money from the sale to buy a lottery ticket that won him $1,000.

Michael David, 46, will not be allowed to keep the winning ticket.

I guess it will be up to a judge to decide, but it's in our possession right now as proceeds from a drug transaction, Ellsworth Police Chief John Deleo s... [ More ]

Comment #9

justxploring — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:00:27 GMT

Yes, Spy. I agree that they're sticking their noses where they don't belong. Believe me, I don't trust the government either. Signs of fascism are everywhere! But I think this is different. Just my opinion.

Comment #8

spy153 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:53:22 GMT

You have a point, justx. Can't argue with that one at all. But chances are, he already has a gun and probably a whole bunch of friends who go with him with guns too. I'll bet when he was arrested, he had at least two buddies waiting in the wings with weapons in case anything-- other than the police coming --happened.

It just seems all the headlines I have been reading lately say if you win the lottery, you will not be able to keep it because the government -or some form of the government... [ More ]

Comment #7

justxploring — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:41:04 GMT

Spy, to me you are making no sense whatsoever. What if he took the money and bought a gun? This has nothing to do with the lottery except that the news article is appearing on a lottery board. Whatever money he received from a drug buy doesn't belong to him!

If he took $100 from a man to have sex with a 9 year old, went out and bought a PB ticket and won $50 million, it wouldn't be his money either. It was obtained from committing an illegal act, just like robbing a bank. He was selling d... [ More ]

Comment #6

spy153 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:37:58 GMT

So if he would have gotten nothing from it, would they have kept the ticket? Nope. The only reason they are taking it is because it was a winner.

Comment #5

justxploring — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:33:16 GMT

But explain to me how this is relevant.

Spy, it clearly says that he sold the drugs to the undercover cop and bought the lottery ticket with the money. So it is very much directly related to criminal activity.

The officer, Jeremy Cox, met David Thursday evening and bought four 10-milligram pills for $15 each, the chief said.

David apparently then immediately went back to the Irving Mainway and bought, among other things, lottery tickets, one of which ended up being a $1,0... [ More ]

Comment #4

spy153 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:31:19 GMT

No, I just don't think it was admissable as evidence. Or useable in any other way as pertained to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. I hate druglords. They have cost me some family members. In fact, I can't think of anyone who hasn't been affected by the abuse of drugs one way or another. But explain to me how this is relevant. I don't get it. It just seems to me that the government will use any old excuse they can to take your winnings from you.

Comment #3

justxploring — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:25:36 GMT

The man was caught selling drugs! I assume the money will be held in evidence, since the police can't spend it anyway. If the man is convicted of a felony, then maybe the money will be donated to charity - like a treatment center!

I don't understand the above comments. Do you realize how much it costs taxpayers to feed and shelter these people? First he commits a crime and then we're supposed to reward him with more of our money? People are never supposed to benefit from crime. If he... [ More ]

Comment #2

spy153 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:10:17 GMT

I don't know why this bothers me so much. Maybe I just don't like anyone else getting the winnings except the one who scratched it off and won it. I don't like the idea that it is okay for the police or anyone else to take someone else's winnings if they aren't (yet) in debt to someone or the state or the government. I fully support the back child support thing and other stuff, for instance if you filed bankruptcy within the last six months and that sort of thing. But something about this st... [ More ]

Comment #1

time*treat — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:04:24 GMT

Any excuse will do .

Police seize winning lottery ticket bought with drug money

Lottery Post — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:00:47 GMT

A Maine man who was arrested Thursday for selling methadone to an undercover police officer apparently used money from the sale to buy a lottery ticket that won him $1,000.

Michael David, 46, will not be allowed to keep the winning ticket.

I guess it will be up to a judge to decide, but it's in our possession right now as proceeds from a drug transaction, Ellsworth Police Chief John Deleo said Friday.

David, who has been staying at a motel on High Street, went into the Irving Mainway... [ More ]