$57M Mega Millions lottery winner is sex offender with criminal past

Comment #29

konane — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:57:24 GMT

I hope he's able to meet the challenge he's created for himself via jackpot win. Only time can tell.

Comment #28

Stack47 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:38:33 GMT

I haven't seen anything reliable about the actions that resulted in the charge against Topous, but he either got a very bad deal or he definitely attempted to do something illegal.

The article says He's also on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry for committing a criminal sexual assault with the intent to commit penetration. He registered in 1999, and is compliant. I thought it was with an adult that said no and he was caught with his pants down but one of the posters said it was consensual w... [ More ]

Comment #27

KY Floyd — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:58:34 GMT

Intent to commit a crime isn't illegal. It's the attempt to do something illegal that is a crime. People intend to do all manner of things that they never actually try to do. They intend to stop drinking, they intend to find a better job, and they intend to find a confused 13 year old to have sex with. There's nothing illegal about intending to go visit a 13 year old and have sex with them. The guys arrested in Predator get arrested because they actually showed up thinking they were going to fin... [ More ]

Comment #26

dbello — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:26:17 GMT

Agree. If you are without sin - convicted or not - then go ahead and cast the first stone. Be aware though - when you throw chit in a fan it comes back at you

Comment #25

ptcruiser70 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:32:08 GMT

i am so happy some one 1 i hate it when it gets to 300 million then 1 person hits thats to much for 1 person to win congrads on your win mich

Comment #24

ThatScaryChick — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:30:20 GMT

I agree. Even if the person seems like a upstanding citizen, you will have people who can't wait to post some negative comment about how they will spend there money or how they don't deserve it. It's not just here though, you should check out the lottery section of t*opix it is a mad house.

I think it all really stems from jealousy. If people really don't want people with criminal backgrounds to win, they need to try to change the law or something. In my opinion however, that is a slippery sl... [ More ]

Comment #23

RJOh — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:50:42 GMT

Jealousy of lottery winners has alway existed, but these folk would look foolish if they started such an argument with the store clerks that sold them their losing lottery tickets so they come to LP where sounding foolish is not looking foolish.

Comment #22

Stack47 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:38:57 GMT

It seems to be the trend lately; no matter who wins the jackpot, somebody will start a negative discussion about the winner.

Is jackpot envy a recognized medical health term

Comment #21

Stack47 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:31:32 GMT

Criminal intent doesn't mean they actually committed that crime; it means it can be proven it was their intention.

Dateline NBC has a segment called To Catch a Predator and they work with the Counter Pedophilia Investigative Unit. That group monitors teenage chat rooms and its members pretend to be teenage girls and engage in conversations with adults that enter the room. They are looking for pedophiles that frequent those rooms and record the conversations. If a large number of these adults... [ More ]

Comment #20

ThatScaryChick — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:53:52 GMT

You want to prevent convicted criminals from winning the lottery, yougotta change the rules. Start a petition in your state that saysconvicted criminals or certain specific convicted crime perps are notallowed to play the lottery. Otherwise, you have nothing to complainabout.

Yep, I agree.

Comment #19

Lotto*Love — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:52:48 GMT

I was wondering that too. I mean, they say it wasen't forced, so it could be brought down from rape. Plea bargained. My husband says its still rape in his mind. Don't know the law, but if she's under the influence isn't the taking advantage of the situation still rape? But who knows........They never said anything about rehabilitation though. At least what i read. I'm not sure what his level is rated. I wonder what his community thinks. With the intent to...............? Wonder what they mean by... [ More ]

Comment #18

Sandra Dee — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:44:15 GMT

sorry, i wanted to comment but i couldn't concentrate after the sentence committing a criminal sexual assault with the intent to commit penetration - where his pants out and his ....... i mean, how did they determine ..... never mind .. no comment - about the offence or the alleged rehabilition.

Comment #17

tntea — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:45:04 GMT

I wish him luck. It is sad that people don't give others a chance to turn their life around with out continuing to dig a little deeper with the sword.

We do not know if he has gotten right with God, thereforth we should not judge.

Comment #16

Piaceri — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:51:08 GMT

In my mind, a 35 yr old man deserves a lot more than jail time for even thinking about a 13 yr old girl in anything other than a plutonic way. He's a sexual devient, or pervert, or whatever you want to call him. There needs to be a heck of a lot more offense free time out of jail than this guy has for me to let any underage female alone in his company. Had he done this to my 13 yr old daughter, he wouldn't be around to win the lottery. He'd have been on a one way trip and no one would have ever... [ More ]

Comment #15

DC81 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:47:22 GMT

He's only been out for about a year and eight months. Hardly enough time to prove he's turned his life around. If you had kids would you feel comfortable letting him move next door to you? After all, what he did was just in the past.

I'm amazed at how apparently forgiving some of you are with a guy (who was 35 at the time) that took advantage of a 13 year old girl....

Comment #14

mpat69 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:19:57 GMT

Leave the guy alone. Like it says, he turned his life around. Yeah, he did some things (IN THE PAST), and he now has the chance to help others (Hopefully)! I wish him good luck and God bless!!! WHo knows, I could be the next winner, which would sure be nice.

Comment #13

lottocalgal — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:59:16 GMT

Every time I read stories like this I feel good about the lottery, especially in a karmic since. I feel that people like this don't deserve to win. But then its my my opinion. But the good news is...

IF THEY CAN WIN SO CAN I. SO CAN ANY OF US. YEAH! I don't have to be a saint or a perfect person. God does not BLESS us with lottery winnings, its random and destiny of the people. It was his destiny to be a criminal and his destiny to win the lottery. It may be his destiny to get shot in the... [ More ]

Comment #12

dejack03 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:34:42 GMT

The money will hopefully keep him from committing any more crimes.

I don't believe Karma is anything more than a person's bad habits eventually destroying them. Sometimes the bad guys win and the good guys lose. This MIGHT be a case of bad guys winning.

I don't know the circumstances of his sexual assault charge but to receive such a conviction usually requires a significant violation. It was almost 10 years ago. For the sake of society and his family and friends I truly hope he maintains... [ More ]

Comment #11

time*treat — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:57:58 GMT

I'm waiting to see stories that start Lottery winner is a traffic offender with a leadfoot past or Lottery winner is extra flatulent; everyone hurries past

The lottery is not about some (mostly self-perceived) goodness as a person. Want to be rewarded for your goodness , go to church ... or court.

Comment #10

mken32 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:40:29 GMT

Go get several speeding tickets and dont pay the fines, then you'll have a warrent out for your arrest go to jail for 30 days or so pay your debt to society, once you get out then you play ten dollars on qp your chances will go up..... now you'll have your day....... just kidding..... keep playing and your day will come after another criminal win first.

Comment #9

DC81 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:31:31 GMT

What'd you say? If you can't repeat it just PM me. I saw your post in the Lottery Discussion topic but I must have missed it here.

Comment #8

DC81 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:30:43 GMT

What does poverty have to do with his crime involving a 13 year old girl that was pleaded down? Despite the girl apparently saying it was consentual and the fact that alcohol might have been involved, that's still ****ed up in this day and age. It wasn't like he was 17 either, he was 35 or 36, don't feel like looking up the dates to make sure. Granted I'm not going to put this guy in the same boat as someone like Daniel Snay who has a long history of child abuse but he's still a creep, even if a... [ More ]

Comment #7

psykomo — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:13:53 GMT

MABY Todd:

Will bring my RESPONCE ........................BACK????????? I ment no HARM!!!!!!!!

LOL

PSYKOMO

Comment #6

manofmany — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:05:55 GMT

I sincerely wish this man the best. Many people make big mistakes in their lives, and alot can turn their lives back around. Many commit crimes who come from poverty-ridden areas. I hope this is the blessing this man needed to get his life together. I know as a felon that he most likely wasn't making much money anywhere working for minimum wage, so amen! Good luck winner!

Oh, and he definitely should NOT have to repay the state for his visit to prison.

Comment #5

nanolike — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:02:53 GMT

I love stories like this cause it just shows you that anyone can win the lottery, even if you lied,stole,commited arson, grand theft, sex crime, were fired from job, are laying in the hospitol and your sister got you the ticket, you are a lawyer, a priest, a sinner or saint, truth be told God does not involve himself in randomness. Randomness is a human idea. With God nothing is random! Like Time this is a human idea, there is no TIME where God is. Time doesn't exist niether does randomness.... [ More ]

Comment #4

DC81 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:57:56 GMT

If anyone hasn't seen the topic about this in Lottery Discussion here's a link with a little more info on his history as well as his not having to pay the state back.

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/06/mega_millions_winner_does_not.html

Having looked up this guy in the MDOC database and all three cases were pleas so he was actually facing more serious charges than what he was convicted of, as I've mentioned in other topics..

Comment #3

kamvick — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:52:15 GMT

I feel the same way. Seems like lately most of the people who have won or are winning have been in trouble with the law, one way or another. I haven't won yet either but I will soon. Our day is coming.

Comment #2

CaliWinner — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:12:49 GMT

Sorry, but I can't wish him well. As the victim myself of a sexual assault, the idea that my former assaulter could win millions of dollars and have the kind of life that I could never dream of and likely will never have makes me positively vomitous. I'm not saying that everyone who wins the lottery needs to be a saint, but there are some people that just shouldn't win it; it just doesn't seem fair (in a karmic sense) in the grand scheme of things.

Comment #1

Big Hitter — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:06:26 GMT

I wish this guy well. I hope his neighbors treat him accordingly. He should take the windfall as confirmation (from a higher power) that he is on the correct life path.

$57M Mega Millions lottery winner is sex offender with criminal past

Lottery Post — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:01:04 GMT

Fred Topous, the Kent City man who just won $57 million in the Mega Millions lottery, is a registered sex offender with a criminal past.

A co-worker describes Topous as a man who turned his life around and would do anything for a friend.

Topous, 45, previously served time for larceny in Grand Traverse County. He's also been imprisoned on a weapons offense, unlawfully driving away in a vehicle, and forced-entry burglary. The burglary charge is from the 1980s.

He's also on the Michigan S... [ More ]