Winning the lottery can be a dream come true, but it can also have devastating consequences. Lottery lawyer Derek Pakiz is warning winners to be careful and watch their backs as they settle into their newfound wealth.
He advises checking state regulations before claiming the prize. Only seven states in the US allow winners to remain anonymous. Six of those states also allow people to form a trust to claim their prize money anonymously.
On the other hand, states such as California prohibit lottery winners from remaining anonymous. Pakiz’s warning comes after the tragic death of Craigory Burch Jr, a 20-year-old man from Fitzgerald, Georgia, who was gunned down by masked men demanding money just weeks after winning $400,000.
Burch was a forklift truck operator who had bought a home for himself and his girlfriend and Christmas presents for children in the area. Seven people were arrested and charged with Burch’s death.
One of them, Dabrentis Overstreet, was sentenced to life imprisonment. It was not until years later that Georgia state lawmakers passed a law that protected lottery players’ identities. Players have to sign a piece of paper to protect their anonymity.
