Toronto guy arrested after picking up Lotto winnings.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/668973 (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/668973)
DALE ANNE FREED
STAFF REPORTER
Some guys have all the luck.
That's what Barry Shell of Brampton likely thought Monday when he went to pick up his nearly $4.4 million jackpot at Ontario Lottery and Gaming headquarters on Dundas St. W.
But after a smiling Shell, 45, had posed for an OLG photo holding his cheque for $4,377,298, he was arrested outside the building on outstanding criminal charges and taken into police custody.
Instead of escaping to a five-star getaway, he was kept overnight and appeared in a Brampton courtroom yesterday on charges of failing to appear, theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
A warrant for his arrest was issued after Shell failed to show up for a 2003 court date.
Const. Adam Minnion of Peel police said: "The OPP contacted Peel police and said, 'This person is wanted on an outstanding warrant, would you like to return for him?' "
Peel police said they'd go and get him, Minnion said.
Asked how a lottery win could result in the discovery of outstanding warrants, Rui Brum from OLG said last night: "A rigorous investigation process is followed any time a prize is claimed.
"Any flags that are raised are immediately forwarded to the OPP Bureau attached to the AGCO (the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) for further investigation."
In an OLG press release announcing Shell's win, he is quoted as saying: "I went to the store and checked my ticket on the self-serve ticket checker.
"As soon as I saw how much I had won, I grabbed a pen and signed my ticket."
He had bought the winning ticket at a Petro Canada on Kennedy Rd. N. in Brampton.
The OLG press release concludes: "The 45-year-old has no immediate plans for the windfall."
I think I remember a similar story from the US once. :cool:
They used to run sting operations in Rochester where the police would rent out a set of connecting suites. They'd send letters to the last known addresses of wanted criminals saying that they had won Bills tickets. They'd come to pick up the tickets and be lead to the other room after filling out some info (address and other personal info important to locating them in the future) and BAM.
:lmfao:
Actually, I think this is what I'm remembering. The LMPD did something like that here to pick up a bunch of deadbeat dads or something.
Meh, so what? It would be an amusing story if this guy was wanted for crimes that carry death penalty. I'd gladly take a rap for these crimes if I could get $4 mil, especially if I was wanted by Canadians.
Quote from: Caliga on July 22, 2009, 08:49:32 AM
:lmfao:
Actually, I think this is what I'm remembering. The LMPD did something like that here to pick up a bunch of deadbeat dads or something.
Wouldn't it be amusing if some judge later declared those fake lotto winnings to be legally binding?
I don't think it'd really matter. The irony of winning the lottery is that many of the folks who play it are far too stupid to manage large sums of money. They'd probably blow it all on toys they can't afford and end up ruined financially.
I used to watch a homeless guy beg for money back when I lived in Boston--he staked out a corner near my apartment where he hit up people leaving a 7-Eleven--and wonder what he would do with $20 million... put the cash into his shopping card and sleep on it?
Quote from: Strix on July 22, 2009, 08:48:38 AM
They used to run sting operations in Rochester where the police would rent out a set of connecting suites. They'd send letters to the last known addresses of wanted criminals saying that they had won Bills tickets. They'd come to pick up the tickets and be lead to the other room after filling out some info (address and other personal info important to locating them in the future) and BAM.
Yeah, seems the Massachusetts cops do that too sometimes. I'd think by now that criminals would realize the scam, and some probably do, but not all of them get the memo.
A lot of criminals (maybe even a majority) are greedy and stupid, so it's not surprising that it keeps working.
Quote from: Strix on July 22, 2009, 08:48:38 AM
They used to run sting operations in Rochester where the police would rent out a set of connecting suites. They'd send letters to the last known addresses of wanted criminals saying that they had won Bills tickets. They'd come to pick up the tickets and be lead to the other room after filling out some info (address and other personal info important to locating them in the future) and BAM.
One would think that Bills tickets would be sufficient punishment.
Quote from: Strix on July 22, 2009, 08:48:38 AM
They used to run sting operations in Rochester where the police would rent out a set of connecting suites. They'd send letters to the last known addresses of wanted criminals saying that they had won Bills tickets. They'd come to pick up the tickets and be lead to the other room after filling out some info (address and other personal info important to locating them in the future) and BAM.
What if someone else was living at that address now and showed up to pick up the tickets?
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on July 22, 2009, 10:05:02 AM
One would think that Bills tickets would be sufficient punishment.
The fans of the Bills are weird people. The team hasn't been to the play-offs in almost a decade and they still have as good if not better attendance than when the team went to all the Superbowls. Basically a Bill's game is nothing more than a huge block party with the game being secondary.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 22, 2009, 10:52:53 AM
Quote from: Strix on July 22, 2009, 08:48:38 AM
They used to run sting operations in Rochester where the police would rent out a set of connecting suites. They'd send letters to the last known addresses of wanted criminals saying that they had won Bills tickets. They'd come to pick up the tickets and be lead to the other room after filling out some info (address and other personal info important to locating them in the future) and BAM.
What if someone else was living at that address now and showed up to pick up the tickets?
Have them sign their names than arrest them for Criminal Impersonation and Fraud. You can add in some new arrests along with closing out old warrants. Why discriminate?
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on July 22, 2009, 10:05:02 AM
Quote from: Strix on July 22, 2009, 08:48:38 AM
They used to run sting operations in Rochester where the police would rent out a set of connecting suites. They'd send letters to the last known addresses of wanted criminals saying that they had won Bills tickets. They'd come to pick up the tickets and be lead to the other room after filling out some info (address and other personal info important to locating them in the future) and BAM.
One would think that Bills tickets would be sufficient punishment.
Years ago there was a cable company that rather than cutting off cable of nonpayers, made CSPAN the only channel they could get. They claimed this increased the rates people resumed payment.
Quote from: alfred russel on July 22, 2009, 11:21:30 AM
Years ago there was a cable company that rather than cutting off cable of nonpayers, made CSPAN the only channel they could get. They claimed this increased the rates people resumed payment.
:lol:
Quote from: Caliga on July 22, 2009, 08:20:58 AM
I think I remember a similar story from the US once. :cool:
Me too, a guy out on parole (or maybe it was on the run) won a jackpot at the lottery. He had been forbidden to gamble for money during that time as part of the sentence, so in addition to going back into the slammer, the millions was forfeit to the state :pinchL
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on July 22, 2009, 10:05:02 AM
One would think that Bills tickets would be sufficient punishment.
Sitting in Ralph Wilson Stadium in the winter would be considered cruel and unusual punishment. :uffda:
Quote from: Strix on July 22, 2009, 10:57:59 AM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on July 22, 2009, 10:05:02 AM
One would think that Bills tickets would be sufficient punishment.
The fans of the Bills are weird people. The team hasn't been to the play-offs in almost a decade and they still have as good if not better attendance than when the team went to all the Superbowls.
That isn't weird, that is being actual fans. I am not much of a Bills fan myself, but I certainly have a lot more respect for Bills fans than I do your typical Dallas/Pats/Ravens fans, who are all about 95% bandwagoners.