Homeowner to invest in security system, cameras after harrowing incident
Police nab pellet-pistol-packing suspect
Just because he won $10 million in the lottery, Gary Owens said, that doesn't mean he's got a house full of cash.
Owens suspects a gun-bearing would-be thief who forced his way into Owens' home at 3:30 a.m. Friday thought he was going to claim a share of the jackpot.
A man came to his door saying his name was Tony and he was there to repay $1,500 Owens had allowed him to borrow. A man with that first name did owe Owens' money, but he said he knew the hooded man at his door was not his acquaintance.
"I said no, you're not coming in here," he told the suspect.
"He broke down the door, put a gun to my head and told me "Give me all your money,'" Owens said. The victim was told to lie down on the floor, which he did, and the suspect used a long boot lace to hog-tie him.
Owens' downstairs tenant, Pat Dunn, heard the commotion and ran up to help.
While Dunn tussled with the suspect, Owens managed to get himself free. He ran into the kitchen, grabbed a solid wood chair and struck the suspect twice. The man fled.
Owens said he is uninjured, but he now plans to invest in a security system complete with cameras.
"I'm just a shook up a little bit," he said.
Dunn suffered cuts to his head and body and was treated at Albany Medical Center Hospital.
Coeymans police developed leads and sent a teletype out on the suspect. State Police on the state Thruway took Michael A. McGorman, 22, of Brooklyn into custody.
McGorman was charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree assault, second-degree attempted robbery, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a weapon. The gun, police said, turned out to be a pellet pistol.
Owens, a retired engineer with General Electric, won with a scratch-off ticket in April.
"Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it," he said. "People think I have all this money in my house. I don't.".
Thanks to JackpotWanna for the tip.
This crime would support recent discussion about allowing lottery winners to remain anonymous! Lottery officials should feel really bad when they hear about this stuff happening.
It was said by 1 of my college professors'. "A 4 sure way to become a welfare reciepient is 2 have a child b4 U get out of high school." Well I say "A 4 sure way to get yourself robbed, hit the lottery." Heck in the world 2day U might get hit over the head 4 a $10 scratch off. LOL
The guy was very lucky that his neighbor heard the commotion coming from his place and that he came to help so he was able to get loose. It must have been a very scary situation.
Anonymous claiming would minimize this from happening, but word gets around, even if it's anonymous. If you win and tell just one friend, word will get out. If you win, have no family, and tell no one, friends may notice if you change lifestyle, buy new things, and so on.
If every winner was kept anonymous, then there would be some people who would complain that the lottery was fixed, because all the winners were anonymous and they would think it should be public record to prove the lottery was not rigged.
The best is a middle ground. Smart winners will set up trusts, corporations, charities, and other organizations to insulate themselves and channel their winnings correctly.
People do NOT need to know that you are wealthy...it is NONE of anyones business,especially the press, how much someone is worth.I like to read about winners as much as the next guy,but some things are flat nobodys business.If a person wants to share their personal business with the entire world,fine,thats their choice.However,if person prefers to remain anonymous,that should also be their choice.When I win the lottery I'll be forced to go through the media B.S.However,as soon as I get my hands on the money I will be moving to another area of the country where I can be anonymous.The state of Iowa will collect their share of taxes on my winnings but in the years to follow they won't get one penny from the taxes on the interest that my money will generate.Their loss could be avoided by allowing me to remain anonymous.
Hope he invests some of that jackpot in a better front door. Doesn't hurt to hang a can of pepper spray by the front door as well.
BobP
Hire body guards, sniper, and other preventative protections. With that much money this is no longer a concern, it is the life of the winner.
He's going to have a sniper on his roof? Don't you think the alarm system going off would do the trick?
I agree an alarm system seems sufficient. I think getting a sniper would be going overboard.
A man came to his door saying his name was Tony and he was there to repay $1,500 Owens had allowed him to borrow. A man with that first name did owe Owens' money, but he said he knew the hooded man at his door was not his acquaintance.
Loaning that kind of money to an acquaintance (not a friend or family member) will have some people thinking you keep money in your home even if you haven't won a lottery jackpot.
One of the books about what to do if you win a jackpot suggests taking out kidnap and ransom insurance.
If I hit a jackpot I'd get a surveilance system like the one Al Pacino had in Scarface!
It's a good thing the victim of this Home Invasion is safe.
His life is more important than the money...
Woah, your college professor needs to take a lesson in overgeneralizing about certain circumstances. I am living proof that His narrowminded concept doesnt hold water.
As to the nature of this article, Two things hold true. It IS the lotteries duty to share with the public the name of the winner. Far too many folks try to hide their true networth. Crime doesnt discriminate whether rich or poor, it is an equal opportunity destroyer. As a famous actor once said. I chose the public limelight so its my duty to surrender some of my privacy for them to get to know my being, but it doesnt mean they can follow me to the bathroom. Once you get that concept you'll stop whining about wanting your cake and eating it too.
Duck,
I agree. People want their privacy, but some people want to know the lottery is not rigged. A middle ground is best, work within the legal system if necessary. It's too bad I haven't won a good sizable jackpot, since I have no friends and only a few close immediate family members that care about me. And if some distant relative tries to wrangle some money out of me, I will either ignore him/her or tell that person to f*** off. What are they gonna do? Not like me or care about me anymore? Refuse to speak to me? They were doing that before. Big f****** loss.
SC
Or they'll just try to kidnap you which may result in your death.
Sniper? You don't need no stinking sniper!
SC
If a thief came to my house, if I had my own house, and threatened me with a gun pointed at my head, I would just say "Do it, if ya got the stones".
SC
I hear tell by a known but unamed attorney that in the ole vintage days, when Las Vegas was owned and operated by the M Boyz, there was was nothing to fear (if you wren't in their biz)
They did not harm any winners and if anybody tried to harm or rob a winner the "reward" could easily be disappearing into desert hole....
Remenecing about the good ole dayz when it was Viva Las Vegas before OJ !!!
EddessaKnight
Saying "Do it, if ya got the stones" might cause you to be shot dead.There are more people than you know who "have the stones" to pull the trigger.Some people just don't care if they kill you.Prisons all across America are full of people with more stones than sense.
Sadly once a person wins a lottery jackpot, that person becomes a target. The man in the story was very lucky.
Unfortunately the old saying of "winning is not going to change me or what I do" is a problem to most jackpot winners...It may not change you, It may magnify your personality, but it will definitly change the people around you.
Either get the security system with the camera, or get the hell out of the neighborhood, because unfortunately you just don't fit in anymore,,,,(might want to see if there is a door that has the capability to shoot out a couple of taser darts, and maybe some pepper spray).
The reason anonymity is discouraged among lottery winners is to prevent another avenue of public corruption. If we passed a law allowing winners to claim their jackpots anonymously, how would we know that the lottery commissioner, the lottery director or the governor himself didn't claim that jackpot?
We've had such a situation right here in Indiana. Governor Kernan served two four-year terms, at a salary of $140,000 per year. Somehow, he left office a multi-millionaire, and used part of his newfound wealth to buy a $9 million share in a semi-pro baseball team. When I pointed this out on a political forum, I was attacked from all sides by people who LOVED this liar, this thief. I demanded an investigation by the Indiana State Board of Accounts, the Indiana State Police and the FBI, but my demands were summarily ignored, because I'm not somebody who warrants any concern on their part.
We DON'T want a curtain drawn around our lotteries, because those who see that opportunity presented to them will be the very same people who are in a position to take advantage, and they will certainly act on it. There would be virtually no possible way to keep our politicians and lottery officials from looting the cookie jar. In fact, they'd probably take turns, and lottery headquarters in every state would have to install revolving doors just to accommodate them and their weekly jackpot claims.
There are viable alternatives available to any jackpot winner who doesn't want his or her name published. If you live in a state that allows you to claim your jackpot via a blind trust, that's the way you should go. If you live in a state that requires disclosure, then you can set up a corporation and hide your name among the list of officers or directors (Chief Operations Officer or Secretary for example; you DON'T want to make yourself CEO or President). While the first option is preferable to the second, a corporation does provide you with a degree of anonymity, and might also provide you with several tax breaks in subsequent years not available to those who use a blind trust to claim their money (depending on how it's structured).
If you plan to win a jackpot, or even if you just hope you will someday, NOW is the time to talk with a certified financial planner and an attorney. Investigate your options BEFORE that magical day arrives, and you'll know exactly what to do when the time comes. If you wait until after you've won, your mind will be going in a hundred different directions at once, and sound financial advice might not be high on your list of priorities. I'll point to David Edwards to illustrate this example. He actually did hire attorneys and a financial planner, after he learned he had won $41 million. He paid them well, and then promptly ignored every word of advice they uttered to him. Consequently, in a little more than three years, Mr. Edwards SPENT $41 million and change, and now he's wondering how he's going to pay his medical bills.
Stop and think for a moment how that would make you feel; would you feel stupid, Stupid or STUPID? Would you entertain suicidal thoughts, or would you sit around wishing you could turn back the clock a year or so? It won't matter, because neither choice will change your circumstances; you'll still be BROKE. There are many other examples out there, but hopefully this exercise will compel you to take action now, BEFORE you discover that the numbers on your ticket match those that were drawn the night before (you DO check your own tickets, don't you?).
There's more to claiming a jackpot than simply presenting your winning ticket to lottery officials. If you want that feeling to last, you'll need to know what steps to take before you claim your money, and you'll need sound financial advice if you want to keep your fortune for more than three years (you'll also need to TAKE at least some of that advice).
Maybe some of us could get together and make a comprehensive list of the best methods of claiming a jackpot in each state. Then, maybe we could convince Todd to provide a link to that list so we could reference it. Indiana allows lottery winners to claim their money through a blind trust. If we're going to do this, though, we should do it right, so I believe we should each include the governing statute outlining each state's disclosure requirements. However, before I dig up and copy Indiana's gaming laws, I'd like to know whether any of you are willing to help with this project. All you'd have to do is to research the gaming laws in your state, and copy the applicable statute. You might need to contact an attorney to point you in the right direction, since some states don't write their statutes in plain English, and they're very difficult to read or to understand if you're not a lawyer. If your state has legalized gambling (casinos), your lottery laws might be under a different title than your gaming laws (try "[your state] lottery legislation" or " [your state] lottery laws" on Google).
If we do this, I think it will clear up a lot of confusion, and it will also provide all of us with a ready reference concerning what to do when lady luck shows up on our doorstep.
Great post Jim695, as all of yours are always well thought out. A long time ago Chewie posted info or link to info about what to do if you won the jackpot. I may have it on CD somewhere but it will take awhile to find.
Seems one or more properly and correctly trained attack dogs might have discouraged the break-in.
The reason anonymity is encouraged is to protect winners from crime and beggars, jim695. The best way to prevent lottery commissioner, the lottery director or the governor himself from unfair play is the independent public access to the drawing procedures and excluding any computerized draws. I do not mind if governor or anyone else purchased a ticket and won - if it was a fair play.
I live in a state that doesn't allow to claim jackpot via a blind trust, and anonymous option is very popular - since it was introduced recently, nearly all winners chose anonymous claim.
If i win the jackpot, first i won't tell nobody and 2 nd i will get some mean dogs to guard my house.
jim695 - you know, that was why I joined this group in the first place. I wanted information on what to do if I win the lottery. In North Carolina, you can't be anonymous, no blind trust, no corporations - to my knowledge. Basically, you can decline getting your picture taken, but that's it!! A major problem is that in many counties, they have websites where people can look up your name and get your home information - how much it cost, square footage, address, phone, etc (so, yes, much more than a phone book) - and since it's by the gov't, you can't get it "erased", like when you can pay extra to not have your name and number in the phone book.
However, I have always wanted to double-check these facts. I would love to go in with you on this project.
konane - please check your CD for that information. I'd love to have that too!
can you do a blind trust if you win in california?
I would tell no one, set up a blind trust and move to neighborhood with wealthy neighbors, say in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Las Vegas. I might even change my name. I already have 2 rottweilers, I would probably buy more rottweilers for protection. No one comes to visit me now because they are afraid of my rottweilers. When I had small dogs, people would bother me. Now with huge dogs, no one bothers me and I like it.
I'm not sure about Mega Millions but on the state games you can claim anonymously in California.
I love Rotties, but I would probably get a pair of Dogo's
http://www.rarebreed.com/breeds/dogo/dogo2.jpg
That looks like a pitbull or pitbull mix. My rott and I were attacked by the neighbor's pitbull in my own yard, so I now hate pitbulls. My rott and I were not hurt because its owner, my neighbor, luckily hurried and pulled his pitbull out of my yard before it could jump me or my rott. I know it will happen again because that pitbull only lives 2 houses away from me. The next time, I will shoot that pitbull when it enters my property. In Ohio, you can shoot and kill a pitbull when it enters your property. Sorry I don't mean to get off topic, so I will get back on topic.
Yep, rotts are great guard dogs to protect your lottery winnings.
Yea unfortunaly any dog can be made to be bad (and some are by nature) if the owner doesn't care much. Seems common with Pits, but I've met a few awesome ones in my day. Definitely love Rotties though, I have a good friend with a 110 lb Rottie and he's one of the nicest dog's I've ever met. He even knows how to get you a beer from the fridge, how's that for a talent!?
The Dogo's were originally bred selectively from many different origins, terrier/boxer/bulldog/mastif/cordoba/great dane/pyrenees/pointer/wolf hound, but no Pit in the mix!
Ok back on topic now :)
.......WOW!!!!...some of you are just P L A I N scary !!! Just do what i did a year ago, rented out my 2 rental properties to young single cops....both houses are on each side of mine....excellent protection since both are allowed to bring their police vehicles home!!
The problem isn't the dog. The problem is the neighbor. Every pit bull I've ever met has been a sweetheart, but your neighbor would almost certainly replace one with another that would turn out the same way. The right way to solve the problem is to shoot the neighbor. Ohio may not explicitly permit that, but missing the dog isn't illegal.
LOL...Great solution to the problem but it would not be legal and I could not do that at all. So I just tolerate it for as long as I can.
I feel sorry for that poor guy in NY though. Too bad he did not have a big dog or some kind of protection.
If I won alot of money from the lottery, I would tell NO ONE, not even my family.
your address and apt. number have never been public informaton ..and this case the thief knew who he owed a $$1,500.
only his so-called buddy knew that information..........
the fight he and the theift had was a wak-up call to buy a large german sheppard guard dog ......and a security camra then he could cover all his bases....next time it will be a woman with no underware!!!
aw thats not very fair.
i was attacked by a rott before and I don't hate them.i have a rott and two pits.they all are the sweetest things and i would trust them with my baby.