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Lottery winner invested $3M in crystal meth ringNews Story
Georgia man pleads guilty to drug trafficking, gun charges A Georgia man who won $3 million in a scratch-off lottery game last year invested his winnings in a crystal meth trafficking ring, according to federal prosecutors. Ronnie Music Jr., 45, pleaded guilty last week to federal drug trafficking and firearm charges. Music decided to test his luck by sinking millions of dollars of lottery winnings into the purchase and sale of crystal meth, U.S. Attorney Ed Tarver said. As a result of
Jul 26, 2016, 2:38 pm - Lottery News

Georgia Lottery transfers record-breaking $1.097B to educationNews Story
The Georgia Lottery has transferred a record-breaking $1,097,567,000 to education for the 2016 fiscal year. Lottery officials said this is the first time the Georgia Lottery has transferred more than $1 billion in a single fiscal year, and it is the largest educational transfer in the lottery's 23-year history. We appreciate the commitment from our dedicated lottery and COAM retailers, players, vendor partners and employees. We are grateful to our board of directors for their leadership a
Jul 21, 2016, 6:19 am - Lottery News

Accused lottery murderer recapturedNews Story
The suspect accused of murdering a Georgia Lottery winner has now been caught, after he escaped from prison Wednesday. Officials found Earnest Holcomb in Ocilla around 8:20 p.m. Thursday evening. Authorities followed up on a tip that led to Holcomb's capture, they aren't releasing specific details about where he was found to protect the identity of the tipster. But Sheriff Bobby McLemore did say that he was found hiding underneath an Ocilla house. Holcomb escaped from the Ben Hill Count
Jun 10, 2016, 10:03 am - Lottery News

Suspect accused of murdering lottery winner escapes from Georgia prisonNews Story
One of the people charged with murdering a Georgia Lottery winner has escaped from a south Georgia prison, authorities say. Earnest Anthony Holcomb, 28, got away from the Ben Hill County facility about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sheriff Bobby McLemore said. Holcomb was in the exercise yard when he made it onto the roof and slipped out of his jumpsuit before running away. Authorities still don't know how Holcomb escaped, since there are 40 cameras in the area, McLemore said. Holcomb and six ot
Jun 9, 2016, 12:55 pm - Lottery News

7 arrested in Georgia Lottery winner's murderNews Story
Seven people were charged Monday in the shooting death of a lottery winner more than two months ago. The arrests were all made after a lengthy investigation into Craigory Burch Jr.'s death. The former forklift driver hit the $434,272 instant prize from the Georgia Lottery when he matched all five numbers from the Nov. 29, 2015 Fantasy 5 drawing. Six of the seven are in custody in the Ben Hill County Jail. One remaining suspect is in custody in Colquitt County. Two of the suspects are
Mar 29, 2016, 9:05 am - Lottery News

Georgia Lottery winner killed during home invasionNews Story
Don't do it in front of my kids A Fitzgerald, Georgia, man who recently won a nearly half-million dollar Georgia lottery jackpot was murdered overnight Thursday during a home invasion robbery. 20-year-old Craigory Burch, Jr died from gunshot wounds at a home on Stubbs Avenue. Burch won a $434,272 Fantasy 5 jackpot in November 2015. GBI agents spent the overnight hours collecting evidence from the home. Officials say Jasmine Hendricks, Burch's girlfriend, was in the home at the
Jan 21, 2016, 1:49 pm - Lottery News

Georgia lottery officials question legality of fantasy sports companiesNews Story
Georgia Lottery officials are questioning whether the daily fantasy sports industry can legally operate in the state, according to a letter sent last month to CEOs of DraftKings and FanDuel. Georgia Lottery General Counsel Joseph Kim said in the Sept. 23 letter that the companies appear to violate the Georgia Constitution, which generally bans gambling except for state lottery-run games. Kim said Monday that neither company responded by the Friday deadline given in his letter. He said lott
Oct 20, 2015, 8:42 am - Lottery News

Ga. man throws away -- then recovers -- $10,000 in winning Cash 4 lottery ticketsNews Story
By Todd Northrop Imagine having lottery tickets worth $10,000, and then realizing you had thrown them away. That's precisely what happened to Cedric Jackson of Rome, Georgia, over the weekend. But the story doesn't end there. Jackson was a regular customer at Rick's Food Mart, 2000 N. Broad St., and went to the store early Saturday morning to buy new Cash 4 tickets. He has played the lottery every day for five years, picking the same numbers for weeks until he wins a prize. Friday
Aug 4, 2015, 8:23 pm - Lottery News

Former Georgia Lottery official files whistleblower lawsuitNews Story
A former top finance official with the Georgia Lottery has filed a whistleblower lawsuit claiming that he was fired after refusing to present inflated sales projections. Kenneth Knight, former vice president for financial management at the Georgia Lottery, names the lottery and its president, Debbie Alford, in the lawsuit. Knight argues that he was pressured by Alford and his boss to present the lottery board with flawed sales projections in April 2014. Knight says in the lawsuit that he t
Apr 25, 2015, 6:28 pm - Lottery News

Georgia Lottery has first Jumbo Bucks Lotto jackpot winnerNews Story
Winning ticket worth $2.1M was sold in Tennille By Todd Northrop A Georgia Lottery retailer in Tennille has sold the first Jumbo Bucks Lotto with Cash Match jackpot-winning ticket, worth $2.1 million. The lucky jackpot ticket for Thursday's drawing was purchased at Hungry Hunter, 91 N. Fourth St., Tennille. Winning numbers from the drawing were 7, 18, 27, 28, 36, and 46. The winner has 180 days from the draw date to claim. Seventeen players around the state each won the game's $50
Apr 3, 2015, 8:47 pm - Lottery News