Timothy Elliott may just be the unluckiest lottery winner. He beat the odds of 1 in 1,247,400 to win $1 million in a scratch ticket, but he won't beat the odd of getting busted.
See, Elliott is still on probation for two bank robberies. And the terms of his probation clearly stated: no gambling!
And of course, there are opposing views about this:
"That's absurd!" said Edina Russ, of Yarmouthport. "Whatever he had done in the past has nothing to do with his life today. He didn't steal that ticket. That's his money."
But John Derendinger Jr. of Hyannis said fair is fair.
"If he's on probation, then he shouldn't gamble as a violation of probation," said Derendinger, who was ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. "And he shouldn't be able to get the winnings."
What do you think? Should they let the dude keep the winnings? Or bust his butt back to jail for violating his probation?
I don't see the state giving him back the dollar if he lost.
I do not believe a clerk or a dispensing machine would fall into the "near occasion of sin" and lead the parolee even to a gambling parlor. Added to that, since the odds are so high, one rarely presumes to even win.
As someone said, maybe the good Lord gave this parolee a chance to do good.
Let him keep it.