Whittaker robbed again: Lottery winner says $100,000 taken from car Saturday

Daily Mail ^ | 1-20-04 | Daily Mail

[ambrose]

Whittaker robbed again Lottery winner says $100,000 taken from car Saturday

Brad McElhinny

Daily Mail staff

Tuesday January 20, 2004; 12:13 PM

Lottery winner Jack Whittaker, who had more than half a million dollars stolen from his sport utility vehicle last year, had another $100,000 swiped from his vehicle over the weekend.

"His vehicle got broken into, and he lost a substantial amount of money," John Dailey, chief deputy for the Putnam County Sheriff's department, said today.

Someone broke the driver's side window while the vehicle was parked outside Whittaker's Scott Depot home Saturday morning, Dailey said.

The robber stole a blue bank bag filled with about $100,000, according to police.

Whittaker, who could not be reached for comment today, told police he had gone out for coffee about 6 a.m., came home and noticed the window was broken when he walked back outside at 9:30 a.m.

The Powerball winner told investigators he thinks the robber must be someone who knew the money would be there, Dailey said.

"We're always going on television and going out to schools to tell people to keep their doors locked and if they have valuables to put them away," Dailey said.

Whittaker, who won the largest Powerball jackpot in history on Christmas 2002, had more than $500,000 stolen when a briefcase was stolen from his vehicle outside the Pink Pony strip club last August.

That money -- $245,000 in cash and three cashier's checks worth about $100,000 each -- was found in a briefcase behind a Dumpster in the parking lot of the Pink Pony, investigators said.

The money was in a black briefcase lying on the passenger seat of Whittaker's 2003 Lincoln Navigator when it was taken while the vehicle was parked at the strip club on Goff Mountain Road, police said.

Whittaker arrived at the Pink Pony about 2:30 a.m., parked directly in front of the club's main entrance and left the car running, police said. The vehicle, which was locked, was likely entered after the club closed about 3 a.m., investigators said.

"At the very least, that's an invitation to be noticed," Kanawha County Chief Deputy Morris said at the time. "Anybody walking out (of the bar) or anyone that would have stepped outside would have seen it."

The club's managers later were arrested and charged with the robbery.

After that robbery, Whittaker issued a brief statement asking for his privacy.

"I'm simply a businessman who has seen his share of failures and successes," he said at the time. "My personal life is my own, and I make no excuses for my actions."

[The KG9 Kid]

He's giving money to his friends and family and dodging tax laws.

My guess.

[skinkinthegrass]

...a fool & his money, are soon parted.

[Jaded]

Can ya be that stoopid twice?

[Wicket]

This guy is so bone deep stupid I can hardly believe it. Future Darwin award winner, I would think. . .

He gets 500,000 stolen from his car, so he carts around 100,000 in the car at a later date. What a bozo.

[EggsAckley]

I'm tending to agree with you. It's so weak that it must be insulting to the cops.

[mountaineer]

The Powerball winner told investigators he thinks the robber must be someone who knew the money would be there, Dailey said.

Duh. All they had to do was read the news reports about the strip club robbery, Jack.

[mlbford2]

He's totally dodging taxes.

[skinkinthegrass]

He's giving money to his friends and family and dodging tax laws.....GOOD POINT!

[4everontheRight]

Enough of this boob! I am sick of hearing about him!

[Sunshine Sister]

This guy has to be the worlds biggest idiot. Who carries around that much money in cash?

[P8riot]

BINGO!

[AppyPappy]

He'll be dead soon.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Now I'm wondering how this guy ran a successful business prior to winning the lottery. He certainly seems intellectually challenged.

[50sDad]

Dude! Buy a car alarm!

[Taliesan]

He's a contractor.

[monkeyshine]

Good thinking.

Except that they seem to have recovered the original $500,000 stolen.

[IYAS9YAS]

Ya know, I was on the "didn't ya learn the first time?" bandwagon until I read your comment. I wonder if any friends or family made any recent large purchases.

[lilylangtree]

This jerk Whittaker made the headlines on January 7 when he violated a restraining order brought by a bar owner. Whittaker threatened the bar owner previously and wasn't suppose to show up at the bar anymore but he did. Whittaker is a frequent visitor, according to police, at dives and strip joints. Now Whittaker got more money taken from him? Whittaker is an arrogant, conceited jacka** to be carrying that much money in his car when he was already robbed once.

[IYAS9YAS]

Oh, and, geez, you're a bigger cynic than I am! I didn't think that was possible.