Thread: Michigan lotto winner charged with welfare fraud

LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan woman who continued to get food stamps after winning a $1 million lottery jackpot has been charged with welfare fraud.

Who does this lady think she is, a bankster? LOL.

But seriously, here is a woman who won a million bucks in the Michigan Lottery, and chose to continue receiving food stamps. This is ridiculous. I hope they lock her up and throw away the key. And while she is in jail, this bitch needs to pay back the money she stole from the taxpayers. Sorry for calling her a bitch, but IMHO, that's exactly what she is.

Article is here.

Too bad she wasn't a banker or wall-street investor. They get to keep all their ill gotten gains, even at the expense of the tax payers.

She should pay back what she took from the time she won the prize, a fine of about the same amount, and a few hundred hours of community service. Anything more than that is pointless and excessive. It's too easy to use this woman as a public scapegoat in times of trouble. She isn't the real problem.

Originally Posted by ChuckBerry

She should pay back what she took from the time she won the prize, a fine of about the same amount, and a few hundred hours of community service. Anything more than that is pointless and excessive. It's too easy to use this woman as a public scapegoat in times of trouble. She isn't the real problem.

You're right. She's the symptom of the disease. And the disease is a poorly-run and managed food stamp program.

Originally Posted by MaggieD

You're right. She's the symptom of the disease. And the disease is a poorly-run and managed food stamp program.

Exactly. Dont make her pay back anythiing though. Take away her money and that puts her right back on food stamps. Make her work it off. Being from Detroit I can tell you there is plenty of ways communities there could use some "volunteers" for a few hundred hours.

Originally Posted by muciti

Exactly. Dont make her pay back anythiing though. Take away her money and that puts her right back on food stamps. Make her work it off. Being from Detroit I can tell you there is plenty of ways communities there could use some "volunteers" for a few hundred hours.

I disagree about paying it back. She needs to pay it back, AND she needs to spend time in jail to reflect upon what she did. After she gets out, a couple of hundred hours of community service would also be appropriate. She will still have plenty of money left when she completes her sentence, and hopefully, she will have learned a lesson from it.

Originally Posted by danarhea

I disagree about paying it back. She needs to pay it back, AND she needs to spend time in jail to reflect upon what she did. After she gets out, a couple of hundred hours of community service would also be appropriate. She will still have plenty of money left when she completes her sentence, and hopefully, she will have learned a lesson from it.

Taking money from welfare, or any welfare abuse, is a direct crime against you society. Thus the sentence should be equal to that, which is she should be forced to contribute back to the society an equal amount of what she took (plus a little extra). Society as a whole will not benefit by giving a few thousand dollars back to the welfare system. It will have no impact. Her sitting in jail will do nothing to help society. She is not a threat to anyone so jail doesnt seem like it would do any good. However, a person putting in 200 hours or so can have a great impact on a local area. She could actually do some good.

Not to mention putting her in jail on adds to the amount of money tax payers are spending on her.

Originally Posted by danarhea

I disagree about paying it back. She needs to pay it back, AND she needs to spend time in jail to reflect upon what she did. After she gets out, a couple of hundred hours of community service would also be appropriate. She will still have plenty of money left when she completes her sentence, and hopefully, she will have learned a lesson from it.

I don't think this is something worthy of jail time. Particularly because we don't really seem to jail people whom do similar things on a larger scale. She should have known better, yes. She should face consequences, yes. But I'd draw the line before actual jail time. Just someone trying to bilk a bit more out of the system and got caught. If we held this standard to everyone, perhaps. But I also think we already throw people in jail for way too many things.

Originally Posted by muciti

Taking money from welfare, or any welfare abuse, is a direct crime against you society. Thus the sentence should be equal to that, which is she should be forced to contribute back to the society an equal amount of what she took (plus a little extra). Society as a whole will not benefit by giving a few thousand dollars back to the welfare system. It will have no impact. Her sitting in jail will do nothing to help society. She is not a threat to anyone so jail doesnt seem like it would do any good. However, a person putting in 200 hours or so can have a great impact on a local area. She could actually do some good.

Not to mention putting her in jail on adds to the amount of money tax payers are spending on her.

Not if the state charges her for room and board.

Originally Posted by danarhea

Not if the state charges her for room and board.

You cannot (and I know they do, but I am so super against this) charge people for "room and board" when you throw them into jail. They're not volunteering for jail, they are being forcibly placed there by the government.