A registered sex offender recently won $3 million in the Florida lottery. Timothy Poole, is now a millionaire twice over because of a $20 scratch-off, and elected to receive a lump sum of $2,219,807.90.
In 2002, Poole, 43, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual battery on a 9-year-old boy, who told police he was molested by Poole more than two dozen times in the late 90s. He was sentenced to a year and a month in jail, and a decade of probation.
He is currently listed as a “predator” on the Florida Sex Offender website. He was released from prison in 2006.
Poole maintains that he was wrongfully accused, and was eventually slapped with three years for missing mandatory counseling courses. He’s been arrested a dozen times over the last several years for offenses including stealing $20,000 in food stamps, and check fraud.
The Florida Lottery removed his name and story off its website after his criminal history was publicized.
Sex offenders have hit it big in the lottery before. In 2007 a man accused of a lewd act on a child, won $14 million in the lottery.
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Photo: Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement
