Sort of a moot point, the forfeiture of the jackpot.  Guy's 55, with 24 years in prison ahead without possibility of parole.  That puts him 79 years old before he'll see daylight again.

Of course, he won't be alive to see the end of his sentence.

So the State keeps his 2.75 million.

Seems a bit troublesome that he got a far stiffer sentence for two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine than he'd have gotten for homicide one.  He could have gotten off a lot easier by killing half a dozen people, raping a few babies, robbing a bank, and spitting on the sidewalk.

Strange priorities we have these days.  Similar to the weirdness that has us making it a Federal offense with mandatory sentencing for killing a cop, but a killer standing a middling chance of doing two-to-five with good behavior for strangling some 3 year old kid.

Jack

Careful, amigo.

Those are the kinds of words that can having them knocking on your door next.  These are the post 9/11 days.  Department of Homeland Security.  Ruby Ridge.  Waco.  Drug Enforcement Administration.  And the guy this story is about. 

Words are cheap, but the price is going up.

Likely you spoke in haste and regret your post.  You might be well served to call your mistake to Todd's attention and request that he delete your post and this one.

Jack

The lost winnings should be used to add to a future Lotto Texas jackpot.

I see where the BTK (Bind Torture Kill) serial killer who terrorized Kansas for a couple of decades just got a sentence not too different from this one, except he's probably eligible for parole at approximately the same time this Mexican winner/loser gets out of the slammer.    But BTK only killed a dozen or so people, whereas the Mexican did something really bad.

Jack

trial court judge's ruling that Betancourt bought his share of the ticket with drug proceeds because that was his only apparent source of income.

And the next thing you know the Gov'ts going to take any lottery proceeds that were not bought with earned dollars.

Hey I bought my winnig ticket with past due payments money. It was not my money it belonged to my creditors.

in the book 1984 was it much different

the govenment makes the rules, sometimes after the fact. it is easy for me to believe this person involved in criminal activities loses his right to the ticket pretty much the same as the governments right to take property that was used in criminal activity.

Great position - be afraid of your own government. Not terroists. Not criminals. Not Mexican Cartel. The U.S. Government. Sheeesh. The day I'm afraid to speak my mind is the day they can have my American borth certificate.

amen chewie

We each speak from our own body of experience, chewie.  There's a difference between being 'afraid', and merely being realistic.

I've got a lot of respect for the ability of this government to decide a person needs special attention.  Such as they did at Ruby Ridge.  Such as they did at Waco.

By all means speak your mind. 

 I gather from your attitude what's in your mind won't offend them, in any case.  You can speak with total confidence they won't do anything.  That's the cool thing about having attitudes unlike the one JPorter has.  You can speak your mind, wave your flag, and bluster about not being afraid to speak your mind.

However, having said that, I agree with you completely.  Nobody should be afraid of this government.  Everyone should feel completely comfortable about posting seditious, statements online.  Shouting them from the rooftops.  Do it with impunity, without fear.

Namely I can say that because I also don't hold those views.  It's none of my business what they do, nor what the government does to them in any acts of reprisal.  I strongly suggest anyone with views the government mightn't like go public with them.

Fortunately, I don't happen to have any of those kinds of views.

Jack

You're confusing fact with fiction Jack.

I am not talking about blantantly violating the lawful direction of law enforcement officers, shooting at law enforcement officers, or spending my spare hours converting my rifles to automatic weapons in violation of Federal Law.

I lost a friend at Waco; he was a decent person, trying to raise a family, and live the American dream. He lost his life following the lawful direction of a Federal Judge. He was killed by some slime balls who NEVER did any thing to improve life in this country, by people who spent their evenings screwing children and beating women.

Both the clowns at Ruby Ridge, and those at Waco, had the ability to end their unlawful way of life and follow the same process as the other millions of Americans who drive between the white lines every day of their lifes. America became America because of those who do drive between the lines, not because of those who have no respect for anything but themselves. They wanted to make a point, and that is what they got - the point of a bullet.

Don't confuse the freedom of speech right with the stupidity of people who willing shoot Americans trying to enforce the law.  Those slime balls at Waco and Ruby Ridge were no different than the D.C. Snipers.

I spent twenty-two years wearing a uniform, and some of that time fighting a war, to enable people to speak their mind. I did not do that so some slime ball could shoot my neighbor in the back and claim they did it for God!

Whew.  One of us has his facts entirely reversed as to what actually happened at Ruby Ridge and Waco.

I won't change your view, have no reason to try.  And my own facts are so accurate I'd never allow you to change them.

Plus, neither of us has any reason to give another thought to what the other believes.

We'll agree to disagree, Chewie.

However, if it helps, I'm willing to believe you spent 22 years in a uniform of one sort or another.  On the other hand, whatever war you might have fought in, you aren't old enough for it to have had anything much to do with protecting my freedom, nor anyone elses.

Jack

Do not "bet-on-court" Mr. betancourt cause you will lose basically everything! 

Timing is everything, weshar.  This guy had purely lousy timing.

If he'd had that money where he could get to it, say, and they'd come down on him with indictments from something he did pre-win, he could have upchucked enough money into the right places to walk.  In fact, probably never would have been arrested enough to reach the newspapers.

As it was, the guy evidently didn't have the good sense to clean up his life.... he was arrested for something he did AFTER he had a winning ticket and knew it.  Maybe he had some inseverable ties with the Mexican Mafia chewie believes he knows something about.

There's a high price to be paid for a certain type of idiocy.  Sometimes, anyway. 

Fortunately for most of us, a lot of forms of idiocy allow us to just keep on, no penalties involved.

Jack