HARRISBURG, Pa. — A woman who repeatedly aired her frustration at failing to win a jackpot by making obscene and violent threats against Pennsylvania Lottery headquarters faces 53 charges, police said Wednesday.
Towanda Shields, 47, made dozens of calls over the past eight months to the agency's offices outside Harrisburg, police in Lower Swatara Township said.
"From the calls and stuff I've listened to, she's basically completely obsessed with the lottery and the fact that she doesn't win upsets her very much," Detective Robert Appleby said. "She would get really sexually explicit with her insults."
Appleby said that in late October, Shields said someone would die at the retail store where she buys tickets. He said she has also told lottery employees she had searched for them online, knew where they lived and had hired someone to hurt their family members.
Shields, of Philadelphia, has defended her right to make the calls on free-speech grounds, Appleby said. She does not appear to have a listed phone number.
"She basically taunted me the one time when I spoke to her as well — 'I switch phones. Y'all will never figure out where I am,'" Appleby said.
Although Shields has used anonymous burner phones, authorities were able to determine her identity.
"Honestly, had she not made some of the comments she made in the messages, it might have been a lot harder," he said.
Police on Tuesday filed 25 counts each of harassment and stalking, as well as three counts of making terroristic threats. She left 21 voicemails at lottery headquarters and reached people eight to 12 times, Appleby said.
"Fifty-three counts is a lot of counts, but I can assure you she's earned them," he said.
The detective said Shields' main interest is in scratch-off tickets.
At the end of some of her threatening calls, he said, she signed off with a lottery advertisement catchphrase: "Keep on scratchin'."
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Thanks to Jodi for the tip.
I'd say she has a gambling addiction
And an angry temper.
It's one thing to spend loads of money on tickets, it's a whole different problem to threaten and harass the people who are just doing their jobs.
I don't really watch news but wonder what part she lives in
A little NUTTY? You think?
De- Escalation class 101 would have resolved this for each side.
i get the ladies frustration , I don't get her desire to threaten.
sorry to read it got this far.
"three counts of making terroristic threats" In this day and age these counts will put you into prison for five years.
I agree that she needs mental health help.
WOW, She Needs to be In a NUT HOUSE FOR SURE!
UNBELIEVABLE...........
Ugh! Another highly frustrated and desperate gambler who: NEEDS a big lottery payout gain, justifies buying multiple mobile phones, and uses the phones to threaten several mere employees who can't play the lottery or send money from there to people who make themself sound desperate/menacing enough!
The woman clearly has a mental problem.
Next thing you know it will come out she's on public assistance.
dunno about all that .....
but she looks like someone with issues with keeping money in her pocket,let alone an address
Actually cbr$,
You can point a finger at someone and it's considered a terroristic Threat.
She's buying scratch off tickets where she got absolutely no chance of influencing the win.
Thank you Tawanda. Just clicked and bought my on-line Mega Millions ticket from the comfort of home. I'll be sure to send you some $$ through your future gofundme site (right).
I laughed a little and joked a little surprisingly, but she's crazy. Those are serious charges brought against her. And I do get the charges. She called and threatened people that worked there, said she knew where they lived and was going to hurt their family. Doesn't get much clearer to me. That lady's crazy. And Maddog is right what he said to a degree. Obviously not just point a finger, but I get what Maddog is saying.
she probably the other reason why Obama got elected
This is why players should be allowed to remain anonymous if they want.
The state has many thousands more resources than even a big winner would have to catch wicked or nutty people like that person.
I wonder if her LP user name is jjtheprince?
This is hilarious! Love reading funny lottery stories.
but surely in some sense it wouldn't suprise me
Good luck to us all this comming Tuesday
where can i hear a record of the phone calls