$1M lottery winner pleads guilty to theft

Comment #42

jamella724 — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 04:54:29 GMT

why did he do that

Comment #41

Scientistman — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:48:29 GMT

This case demonstrates how addiction, when left untreated, can lead a person to such despair and selfishness that they would manipulate and deceive vulnerable, trusting members of our community who deserve better,

I pray for the day when a big lottery or state lottery and their officials are finally busted for their corruption as well and the above statement can then be used again.

It'll happen one day. And then, we'll all see what's really been going on behind the curtain.... [ More ]

Comment #40

RedStang — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:05:46 GMT

Probably going to be worse. He will have almost 70k waiting for him when he gets out.

Comment #39

Cletu$2 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:22:38 GMT

Older people come from a generation that trust other people.It's jerks like YOU Santaniello that need a lesson in life.I volunteer to kick both of your a$$e

Comment #38

Cletu$2 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:18:09 GMT

Personally,I think restitution AND jail time is called for.Anyone who would scam the elderly out of money should serve HARD time

Comment #37

rdgrnr — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:17:28 GMT

I hope you never work in a nursing home that I get thrown into.

Why won't you die? ----- ----- Huh

Comment #36

rdgrnr — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:10:15 GMT

I think Mr Santaniello would agree with that.

In fact, I think he'd give it his wholehearted endorsement.

Comment #35

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:05:57 GMT

Elderly people should know BETTER than to hand over money before services are rendered. If the old people got scammed out of their money it is their own fault for being so stupid. Santaniello should go free.e

Comment #34

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:00:23 GMT

I think restitution would be much BETTER than jail time.

Comment #33

Factorem — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:04:40 GMT

That will serve him very well - a cold toilet seat and socks-less feet facing cold concrete prison floors for the winter.

Since there are 18 months involved at the prison hotels for him, I hope that the guards remember to turn off any air conditioning vents to his cell in the summer months. 80 to 90 degree cell nights will keep him up most nights, and he won't die from it either. An extra heavy duty dampening of his cell room in the summer months, to raise the humidity levels to break the sca... [ More ]

Comment #32

Factorem — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:43:22 GMT

Or even the Federal Courts and other Houses of Injustices.

Comment #31

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:56:25 GMT

Comment #30

dpoly1 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:42:45 GMT

He could be a member of the Federal Government

Comment #29

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:55:41 GMT

Sadly enough, we are not the America we used to be my friend.

Comment #28

Cletu$2 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:45:14 GMT

That might just be what he gets with the liberal judges that sit on the bench these days.Whatever happened to the make the punishment fit the crime line of thinking

Comment #27

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:03:14 GMT

Perhaps house arrest and in home care would do

Comment #26

Cletu$2 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:27:09 GMT

Give him the fancy treatment WHILE HE IS DOING THE JAIL TIME.That way he still gets punished if the treatment doesn't work

Comment #25

rdgrnr — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:24:13 GMT

I think I just need to be held...

Comment #24

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:20:40 GMT

Its way too harsh to give the guy jail time instead of treatment. He could get BETTER and make restitution.

Comment #23

sully16 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:14:57 GMT

Your right, with the toilet seat in a nice drafty area, he gets no socks either.

Comment #22

Factorem — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:04:44 GMT

I know a few persons who because of economic hardships keep their winter thermostats in the mid fifties during the day and even colder at night up here in the midwest.

I think that 60 degrees will be way too comfortable for Michael Santaniello, to trigger a lesson in respect for the elderly, and their struggles and for others for their hard earned monies.

How about knocking off 20 degrees from the 60 degrees and give him an extra blanket just enough to make him feel its about 45 degrees in... [ More ]

Comment #21

dallascowboyfan — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:51:31 GMT

Comment #20

Factorem — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:50:31 GMT

The prosecutor is overly nice in saying that Michael Santaniello's cheating of his customers and especially the elderly was because of his gambling addiction. Santaniello's experience with cheating his customers appears to be much older than his winning the big one from the lottery.

Since Santaniello could not see himself someday, if he is lucky, in the shoes of the elderly that he cheated, and since Santaniello could not see his uncles, aunts, parents, and other senior members of his friend... [ More ]

Comment #19

Ronnie316 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:10:33 GMT

Comment #18

noise-gate — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:29:02 GMT

Yeah, ever so often we read of some lowlife doing bad things.This guy was pulling this crap in a few neighbourhoods and probably got comfortable thinking he could get away with it. I don't give a rat's arse about his age, maybe 18 months will straighten his oit or not, in any event his pulling time.

What does he tell his cellmate who asks Hey old Timer- what you in for?

Think he would be honest and say screwing the elderly over ..by the way can l get an extra blanket, its cold in here.... [ More ]

Comment #17

maringoman — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:03:12 GMT

He must have won the $1M by playing a lot. Problem is that he had got used to playing a lot and when time to stop came he didn't even realize it. $35,000 a year on top of a job that pays $25,000 a year is good income even in Mass with all the taxes. Sadly some people cannot be saved

Comment #16

CinCin — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:52:03 GMT

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO @ helpmewin!!

In reference to the article, addict or not, he's just plain evil and greedy and I'm glad he was caught. I despise people that rob others to feed their evil needs, especially elderly people. And to just know he's won the lottery twice already makes my butt wanna chew nails and spit rust.

Comment #15

HaveABall — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:40:13 GMT

A net $35K annuity + income from gambling per year isn't bad living; if a solo person using careful spending. However, if he won another $23K and continued stealing, perhaps he spent more than $23K to get that it! Or perhaps he simply enjoys being a stealing bully month-in-month-out, and living higher on the hog than his net income from work plus gambling provided him.

Greeds and addictions are deeply entrenched habits/mindsets. I've got my own couple of addictions (unhealthy foods and inacti... [ More ]

Comment #14

Jill34786 — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:47:10 GMT

. His payments are also only for 20 years.

Comment #13

RJOh — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:31:28 GMT

It's hard to live or act like a millionaire when your million comes $35K yearly after taxes over 30 years.

Comment #12

Nikkicute — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:06:08 GMT

This rascal won another $23,000 after he won $1mil

Dang!! have good honest people who have not won even once

Comment #11

Todd — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:21:33 GMT

Great point.

Comment #10

Ronnie316 — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:17:00 GMT

18 month behind bars should be a good treatment for his illness

Comment #9

savagegoose — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:14:12 GMT

the sweet thing is he is being paid by an annuity, so cant shirk on his repayments of debts.

im not an ahole so i could never get into this sort of trouble.

Comment #8

hearsetrax — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:54:25 GMT

this piece of garbage as U put it ought to feel the effects of 1600 to 1800 degrees in a small oven

Comment #7

lottolaughs — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:41:29 GMT

Yeesh! There always seems to be some kind of negative story about people who win the lottery...talk about shady pasts! Better not buy a ticket unless you've got nothing to hide...it will all come out if you win,lol.

Comment #6

Cletu$2 — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:37:58 GMT

Couldn't have said it any better,myself.

Comment #5

Jessylove — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:34:24 GMT

Wish yuh luck guys! :D

Comment #4

sully16 — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:26:40 GMT

Heating your home is expensive enough, and to add insult to injury, he took advantage of the elderly, more human garbage, throw away the key and keep his cell at a nice 60 degrees.

Comment #3

helpmewin — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:16:31 GMT

were here is you need us rdg,

Comment #2

rdgrnr — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:06:33 GMT

I guess gambling can be as big a problem as anything else if it gets a hold of ya as an addiction.

I think I have too much of a dread for losing to ever fall prey to that.

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem and that's probably the hardest thing for an addict to do.

Heaven knows I'd admit my faults and flaws right away.

If I had any.

Comment #1

Seattlejohn — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:58:31 GMT

What. A. Dumbass...

$1M lottery winner pleads guilty to theft

Lottery Post — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:34:10 GMT

Swindled $21,000 from his oil company's customers

A Chelmsford, Massachusetts, man who won $1 million from a Massachusetts State Lottery ticket in 2009 will serve at least 18 months behind bars after he admitted to swindling more than $21,000 from his home oil company's customers, according to Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone.

Michael Santaniello, 60, of Chelmsford, pleaded guilty in Lowell District Court last week to stealing money from more than a dozen of his clients, many of who... [ More ]