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[The Happy Locust]

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Woman blows $1M jackpot in ethical lapse
MEDFORD, Ore., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- An Oregon court has ruled that a woman who bought a lottery ticket with a stolen credit card must forfeit a $1 million jackpot.

The court awarded the money to the Medford Police Department, The Medford Mail Tribune reported.

Christina Goodenow of White City bought the ticket in 2005 with a credit card in the name of her then-boyfriend’s mother, who had been dead for a year. Goodenow continued to use the credit card and got caught -- even though she used some of her first payout on the lottery winnings to pay the $12,000 balance on the card.

Goodenow pleaded no contest to theft charges. When she was sentenced to probation Thursday, Jackson County Circuit Judge Ray White ordered the forfeiture of her lottery winnings.

Goodenow claims bought the lottery ticket with her own money, and said she plans to appeal the forfeiture.

"Where is the crime, and who is the victim?" she asked.

[Wheeljack35]

That money should go to the people who this woman stole the card from

[Burn]

That money should go to the people who this woman stole the card from

nah, charity.

I don't see why the family of the dead woman should get it. She did pay the card off so they weren't exactly out of pocket.

Doesn't justify what she did though. Just hand the money to charity.

[Autobot032]

Here's the thing.... she admitted no contest to theft charges, but it doesn't say they have proof that she paid for the ticket with the credit card. In fact, most places won't even allow you to do that.

I think they figured this was the best way to screw her and make an example out of her. Don't get me wrong, she committed a crime and it should be dealt with, but if she's telling the truth about the winnings, then a crime's being committed against her.

[DesalationReborn]

Here's the thing.... she admitted no contest to theft charges, but it doesn't say they have proof that she paid for the ticket with the credit card. In fact, most places won't even allow you to do that.

I think they figured this was the best way to screw her and make an example out of her. Don't get me wrong, she committed a crime and it should be dealt with, but if she's telling the truth about the winnings, then a crime's being committed against her.

I remember another story (which a repeat of in the news you'll here ere so often) where, after an elderly woman didn't pay her taxes for a few years, the IRS confiscated her house, sold it, and pocketed the $200,000 left over.

[Tweezy]

That money should go to the people who this woman stole the card from

why would you give money to dead people?

[Autobot032]

Here's the thing.... she admitted no contest to theft charges, but it doesn't say they have proof that she paid for the ticket with the credit card. In fact, most places won't even allow you to do that.

I think they figured this was the best way to screw her and make an example out of her. Don't get me wrong, she committed a crime and it should be dealt with, but if she's telling the truth about the winnings, then a crime's being committed against her.

I remember another story (which a repeat of in the news you'll here ere so often) where, after an elderly woman didn't pay her taxes for a few years, the IRS confiscated her house, sold it, and pocketed the $200,000 left over.

WTF? O_o...ya know, (regardless of religious stance, which I'm not getting into) when you meet your maker (whoever he or she may be) maybe, just maybe...that's not something you want on your entrance resume'....?

Geez...how cruel can people be?

[D-340]

Bought with a stolen card or not, karma's a bitch.

[DesalationReborn]

Here's the thing.... she admitted no contest to theft charges, but it doesn't say they have proof that she paid for the ticket with the credit card. In fact, most places won't even allow you to do that.

I think they figured this was the best way to screw her and make an example out of her. Don't get me wrong, she committed a crime and it should be dealt with, but if she's telling the truth about the winnings, then a crime's being committed against her.

I remember another story (which a repeat of in the news you'll here ere so often) where, after an elderly woman didn't pay her taxes for a few years, the IRS confiscated her house, sold it, and pocketed the $200,000 left over.

WTF? O_o...ya know, (regardless of religious stance, which I'm not getting into) when you meet your maker (whoever he or she may be) maybe, just maybe...that's not something you want on your entrance resume'....?

Geez...how cruel can people be?

When I heard the government agent fronting the issue on the radio a few years back, he just kept saying stuff like "well it's perfectly legal", no matter how much the talk host kept appealing to decency. I mean, stealing, even when done by the government (who appeal to the might-makes-right premise all too often), is still stealing. They got the money she owed, so I wondered why the hell is the rest is not hers.

[Bed Bugs]

The point being though, that if she had not won the lottery, there would still be $12,000 of debt to a dead woman that had not existed before she died.

Without the winnings, this would be a cut and dry issue of Identity Theft.

[Wheeljack35]

That money should go to the people who this woman stole the card from

why would you give money to dead people?

They must have family?

But charity sounds better but to who?

The only way is to divide it up amonst charities but how do pick which should get some money?

[Milesy]

I dont know about the states, but they certainly dont let you buy lorrery tickets here by credit card. Always with cash so there is money in the lottery company's till to pay out small winnings, and scratch card winnings etc.

They I almost bet they have made a circumstantial claim that the money she used to pay for it, which probably was in cash, from the credit card.

Lets not forget that a fraudulent card is not the same thing as a stolen card. I am not excusing her actions, but the media are trying to put a more serious and sinister spin on the story there.

It's not something I would do personally, but I couldnt give a crap about people who rip off credit card companies as they are the crooks in society, giving cards to people who dont have the means to pay them back, and they know this. Plus all the rediculious charges and interest they like to make of us.

I hope she gets her money back.