[Dueller]

Sex Offender Wins $57 Million in Lottery
AP
Posted: 2008-06-19 18:03:59
Filed Under: Nation News
LANSING, Mich. (June 19) - The winner of last week's $57 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot is a registered sex offender who also pleaded guilty to two breaking and entering charges in the 1980s.

Fred Topous Jr., 45, was discharged from Michigan Department of Corrections supervision in October 2006.


Lottery WinnersMichigan Lottery / APRegistered sex offender Fred Topous Jr. won the $57 million Mega Millions jackpot from the June 13 drawing. The ex-con's rap sheet includes assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, and breaking and entering. He will take a $34 million payout. | Flip through to see other lottery winners.

The Kent City man traveled to Lansing on Tuesday to claim the prize from Friday's drawing in the multistate game. Topous chose to take the prize as a $34 million lump sum payment, before taxes.

Topous said he planned to buy a house, send his children to college and have some fun with his winnings. He said he and his wife work multiple jobs to make ends meet and thought they'd have to work till they died.

"I want to enjoy a little bit of life," Topous told state lottery officials. "We're plain folks. We've struggled all our lives."

According to the Corrections Department's offender profile, Topous pleaded guilty to breaking and entering charges in 1984 and 1988 and to assault with intent to commit sexual penetration in 1999. In the latter case, Topous was charged with having sex with a 13-year-old girl, USA Today reported.