Is winning the lottery a blessing or a curse? While on one hand, winning the lottery allowed Craigory Burch, Jr., 20, to bless families in need this past Christmas season, it is also the reason his two sons and the mother of his children will mourn his death for major holidays like Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The forklift operator was gunned down in his home in Fitgerald, Georgia on Thursday, Jan. 21 during a home invasion. He reportedly begged for his life and pleaded with the intruders not to kill him with his family present. Fitzgerald is nearly three hours south of Atlanta and three hours west of Savannah, Georgia.
Burch’s family suspects the masked gunmen were seeking to rob him of his lottery winnings. Burch won a $434,272 Fantasy 5 jackpot in November 2015.
Unfortunately for Burch, there are only six states that allow lottery winners’ names to remain secret. They are Kansas, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio. A bill, SB 179, in the Georgia Legislature, was proposed in early 2015 to add the convenience of winners remaining anonymous if they donate 25% of the winnings to the Lottery For Education Account or other tax exempt organizations.
Lottery officials claim winners have to come forward for the good of public trust and because the game involves public funds that are subject to disclosure laws like all matters handled by the government.
One attorney tells USA Today, “It’s a horrible rule for states to force winners to come forward. The single-best commercial that the lottery has is the press conference that winners hold discussing how the lottery winnings have changed their lives. … There’s a real disconnect between the interest of the lottery officials and the winners. The best thing a winner can do is remain anonymous.” Attorney Andrew Stoltmann has represented lottery winners.
Anonymity is the true blessing for a winner. Unfortunately, for Burch’s family and many others, it’s not always the case. Colorado, Connecticut and Vermont allow winners to bypass having their names released by claiming winnings through a trust or a limited liability company (LLC).
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