Timothy Elliott as the lucky buyer of a $1 million scratch card in the $800 Million Spectacular game – the odds of his ticket being the winner were 1 in 1,247,400 – but buying the lucky ticket was as far as his luck went. Timothy is a convicted two-time bank robber, and by purchasing the ticket he violated the terms of his probation.
Elliott, aged 55, pleaded guilty to unarmed robbery last year, and the terms of his probation ordered him to "not gamble, purchase lottery tickets, or visit establishments where gaming is conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played".
Elliott made it as far as the Winners Circle in the lottery's Braintree headquarters, where he picked up the first $50,000 of his payout, before being presented with a new court date. The hearing, on the 7th December, will determine what will happen to his winnings, and what penalties he will face for violating his probation.
It is thought that the no-gambling order may have been a condition imposed because some convicts contend that gambling debts drove them to commit their crimes. Elliott's lawyer was unavailable to comment on this.
Elliott was undergoing evaluation and treatment at Taunton State Hospital, another condition of his parole, when he bought the ticket. Lottery officials said that they screen winners for evidence of unpaid taxes, child support, and liens, but they do not look at criminal records. A representative said "Winners are winners, we treat them the way winners should be treated."
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