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W. Va. Powerball Winner Charged With DUI
Yahoo! News ^ | Dec. 1, 2004 | JENNIFER BUNDY

Posted on 12/01/2004 3:45:32 PM PST by decimon

By JENNIFER BUNDY, Associated Press Writer

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A man who won a record $315 million in the Powerball lottery was taken to jail on charges of drunken driving and carrying a pistol, authorities said.

Jack Whittaker, 57, was arrested Tuesday night after his Hummer struck a concrete median on the West Virginia Turnpike near Beckley.

Senior Trooper M.J. Pinardo reported that he smelled alcohol but Whittaker refused sobriety tests and was "extremely belligerent." Troopers also said they found a small pistol in Whittaker's boot and he was carrying $117,000 in cash.

Whittaker, who was alone, complained of back pain. He was treated at a hospital, and then jailed early Wednesday.

Whittaker was released after he was arraigned and posted $1,700 bail. Besides the DUI and weapons charge, he was charged with failure to maintain control of his vehicle and failure to submit to a breath test.

It was the latest in a series of incidents involving Whittaker since he took home the largest single jackpot ever.

Whittaker's vehicle, business and home have allegedly been broken into multiple times.

The body of 18-year-old Jesse Joe Tribble was found at Whittaker's home in September. Tribble's death was not a crime and Whittaker was out of town at the time.

Whittaker also faces charges of assaulting and threatening a manager at a bar in January.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: bundy; drunk; hummer; jackwhitaker; jackwhittaker; lottery; pistol; tribble
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1 posted on 12/01/2004 3:45:33 PM PST by decimon
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To: decimon

All that cash in his pocket and he couldn't hail a cab?


2 posted on 12/01/2004 3:47:49 PM PST by Francis McClobber
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To: decimon

This guy is either going to kill somebody or himself. He seems to be burning himself out with all that money.


3 posted on 12/01/2004 3:48:02 PM PST by sinkspur ("It is a great day to be alive. I appreciate your gratitude." God Himself.)
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To: decimon
Isn't this the guy that was going to give a ton of his lottery winnings to the Catholic church? And isn't this the guy who hasn't been out of the "crime log" of the newspapers ever since he won?

What the hell is wrong with him?

4 posted on 12/01/2004 3:48:08 PM PST by Lizavetta (Modern liberalism: Where everyone must look different but think the same.)
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To: decimon

It's Good To Be The King!


5 posted on 12/01/2004 3:48:33 PM PST by cmsgop
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To: decimon

This guy again?


6 posted on 12/01/2004 3:48:39 PM PST by July 4th (A vacant lot cancelled out my vote for Bush.)
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To: decimon

Proving, once again, that most cannot handle riches.


7 posted on 12/01/2004 3:48:55 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: decimon

watch the libbies line up at the jail looking for a hand out. i remember when he first won the money he had to hire people to answer all the requests for handouts.


8 posted on 12/01/2004 3:49:09 PM PST by beansox
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To: decimon

Anybody who carries that much cash is asking to be robbed and/or killed.


9 posted on 12/01/2004 3:49:22 PM PST by Graybeard58
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To: decimon
Whittaker's vehicle, business and home have allegedly been broken into multiple times. Maybe that's because the moron keeps $117,000 (probably more) in cash laying around.
10 posted on 12/01/2004 3:49:30 PM PST by GnL
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To: hal_walker

I was just reading the article out loud to my husband a minute ago, didn't know it was also on FR! Yeah, like I wouldn't have had a driver waiting?


11 posted on 12/01/2004 3:49:36 PM PST by DaughterofEve (W...AGAIN!!!! :)
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To: Lizavetta
What the hell is wrong with him?

obviously the lack of money was not his biggest problem.

12 posted on 12/01/2004 3:49:50 PM PST by Always Right
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To: hal_walker
Lots of dollars and no sense.

as the saying goes, you can take the guy out of the trailerpark but you can't take the trailerpark out of him.....
13 posted on 12/01/2004 3:50:24 PM PST by stm
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To: decimon
The guy is rich, drunk, stupid and has trouble with Tribbles. The money didn't really help.
14 posted on 12/01/2004 3:50:28 PM PST by KSCITYBOY
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To: decimon
he was charged with failure to maintain control of his vehicle and failure to submit to a breath test.

Failure to submit to a breath test is a crime? I thought the roadside tests were voluntary???

15 posted on 12/01/2004 3:51:03 PM PST by krb
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To: hal_walker
Hell, he can now hire a chauffeur.
16 posted on 12/01/2004 3:52:12 PM PST by demlosers
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To: decimon
'A man who won a record $315 million in the Powerball lottery was taken to jail on charges of drunken driving and carrying a pistol, authorities said.'

Yup. He's from West Virginia. :-)


17 posted on 12/01/2004 3:52:22 PM PST by Viking2002 (Taglines? Vikings don't need no steenkin' taglines..............)
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To: decimon
he was carrying $117,000 in cash. Whittaker, who was alone, complained of back pain.

I will help him carry the money next time.

18 posted on 12/01/2004 3:52:46 PM PST by KidGlock (W-1)
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To: All

Could be worse.. could be this lady.
http://www.lotterypost.com/news-101747.htm


19 posted on 12/01/2004 3:53:07 PM PST by Splatter
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To: decimon

I'm still trying to figure out how divine justice deemed this man to be the winner in the 1st place. . .


20 posted on 12/01/2004 3:53:58 PM PST by Tempest (Click on my name for a long list of press contacts)
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