CLEVELAND - A woman who told police she bought and lost a lottery ticket worth $162 million all but admitted yesterday she made it up, saying tearfully: I wanted to win so bad for my kids and my family. I apologize.
Elecia Battle, 40, of Cleveland, said she is dropping her lawsuit over the Mega Millions jackpot that was awarded Tuesday to 34-year-old Rebecca Jemison.
Battle apologized to her husband, Jemison and her lawyer.
I'm not a bad person. I'm really not
she said. Everyone has a past.
Days after the Dec. 30 drawing, Battle filed a police report saying she lost the winning ticket, possibly when she dropped her purse outside a convenience store.
Police in suburban South Euclid, where the winning ticket was sold, said Battle probably will be charged with filing a false police report - a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
I think what she's saying is what everybody else is inferring - that she's lying Lt. Kevin Nietert said.
Battle said she wanted to use the money to help her family and recently laid-off Cleveland police officers.
I wanted to win she said with a shaky voice. The numbers were so overwhelming. I did buy a ticket
and I lost it. I wanted to win so bad for my kids and my family. I apologize.
When she was asked directly if she lied, Battle's lawyer, Sheldon Starke, refused to let her answer.
The Ohio Lottery said it knew Jemison was the winner all along.
We were confident with our decision from the onset to award Rebecca Jemison the $162 million Mega Millions jackpot
and we are pleased that this matter has been resolved
lottery director Dennis G. Kennedy said.
Jemison provided another lottery ticket purchased at the same time and location and had a lottery ticket that showed she had played the same numbers in the prior drawing, the lottery said.
Jemison, of South Euclid, has an unlisted phone number, and a message seeking comment was left with her accountant, Scott Snow of Ernst & Young.
Battle's police report said the numbers were related to her family, and police initially said she had a credible story because she knew details such as the approximate time the winning ticket was bought.
Officers have to assume people are telling the truth when a police report is initially filed, Nietert said.
If the system was such that we questioned people when they filed the police report as to their integrity
then people would never file a police report
he said.
Battle has a criminal record that includes assault on a drug-store clerk and misuse of another person's credit card.
Jemison qualified for a lump-sum payment of $67.2 million after taxes. Mega Millions is played in 11 states.
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