Prison guard wins $54 million lottery jackpot

Sep 26, 2010, 9:34 am (34 comments)

Mega Millions

She's been homeless, bankrupt, a robbery victim and assaulted on the job — but radiant Rikers Island prison guard Garina Fearon now has 54 million glorious reasons to start living la dolce vita.

The 34-year-old single mom from East New York, Brooklyn, who has endured a lifetime of hardship and poverty, told The Post she's the mystery winner of last Friday's Mega Millions drawing.

"I wanted a better life. I was struggling as a single parent," a beaming Fearon said yesterday. "I've really come back from nothing."

She never imagined such joy was possible when she was down to her last $25 six years ago and forced to file for bankruptcy.

Hard times struck again two years later, when burglars robbed her apartment while she was at work guarding dangerous inmates.

Fearon, who spent part of her youth in a homeless shelter with no stable family, went on to endure sickening abuse from the monsters in her care.

"She's had feces thrown in her face and on her uniform in the years that she's been there," said a fellow jail guard. "She's a tough young lady."

How she won is as remarkable as her change of fortune.

Fearon said she bought the wrong ticket at a Sutter Avenue bodega, where she went to play Powerball, not Mega Millions.

"I only play every six months or so," said Fearon, who has a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter.

She held on to the ticket all weekend, and didn't think about it until Monday, when she asked a co-worker for a newspaper. She scribbled the winning numbers on the back of an inmate pass as her shift ended.

As she waited for the bus, she made the amazing discovery.

"I was about to fold up the lottery ticket," Fearon said. "Then I saw the numbers, and I started running from one part of the parking lot to the other screaming."

She still hasn't come down from her high.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said. "It's something unexpected."

The first thing on her "to-do" list was to talk to supervisors at the Correction Department. She said she feels too loyal to the job to let it go, even with all that money coming her way.

"I'm going to go to my job to get some days off," Fearon said. "I don't want to resign."

Fearon said it was her correction career that rescued her from her financial ruin.

Her top priority is taking care of her ailing mom.

"I'm from Jamaica," Fearon said. "I have a sick mother. She has diabetes, and I'm going to buy my mom a house in Jamaica."

Fearon said she will take the lump-sum option, which will pay her about $30 million before taxes. Beyond that, she's not sure what she'll do next.

"I don't know anything about all this kind of money," she said.

News story photo(Click to display in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display in gallery)

New York Post

Comments

coolmoney

Good for her for buying her mother a home in Jamaica, I hope the money makes her life easier, she has been through hard times and she sounds like she could use the money for herself, her children and her mother. God bless her!!!!Blue Angel

buttercake's avatarbuttercake

Congrats to her

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Now this is a fairy tale story. From feces in the face to a multi-millionaire. I hope she does well with all that money.

And I hope there's somewhere in Jamaica with high security to build that house for Mama. With all this publicity, there's going to be low-lifes looking for an opportunity.

I think I'd get her out of Jamaica, where that kind of money can easily corrupt police or even government officials.

iGlenn

I hope shes smart with the money, doesn't end up bankrupt again in a few years, and realizes how much I really love her.  Lovies

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

Congrats to Mrs. Fearon on her win! Smiley

stripesnsolids's avatarstripesnsolids

Glad she won.  She should get out of Rikers too.  With her name and face on that kind of money it won't make her job as a guard any easier.

weshar75's avatarweshar75

Congrats on the big win.-weshar75

msbkny's avatarmsbkny

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Sep 26, 2010

Now this is a fairy tale story. From feces in the face to a multi-millionaire. I hope she does well with all that money.

And I hope there's somewhere in Jamaica with high security to build that house for Mama. With all this publicity, there's going to be low-lifes looking for an opportunity.

I think I'd get her out of Jamaica, where that kind of money can easily corrupt police or even government officials.

I Agree!

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by iGlenn on Sep 26, 2010

I hope shes smart with the money, doesn't end up bankrupt again in a few years, and realizes how much I really love her.  Lovies

Actually, I think I loved her first...     Lover -------------->  Love

I just forgot to mention it.

PERDUE

Very beautiful woman. Very beautiful win. I wish her, her mom, and her children all the best things in the world. I wish them their safety more than anything.

Congratulations!  Congratulations!  Congratulations!

Litebets27's avatarLitebets27

I really hope this win will be a blessing bestowed on she and her family.

Too many previous winners end up wishing they had never won the money after awhile.

I hope she has devised a plan that will secure she and her immediate family for many years to come.

Congratulations on your win. But try to stay out of the media's eyes.

God Bless you and your family Ms Fearon....and congrats again.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Isn't that something, she only plays every 6 months or so and she hit.

 I am happy for her. If she is smart, this money will set her for life.

 A  lawyer, and a financial planner should be her best friend from now.

 She only plays every six months....

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I have a funny feeling she will soon be hearing from her ex who suddenly feels a need to spend more time with his children.

CowboysFan's avatarCowboysFan

And she played the wrong game? My goodness what luck.

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