Fantasy met reality as a scene from the hit show “Breaking Bad” played out for a lottery winner. Last year, Ronnie Music Jr., 45, of Waycross, Georgia, won on a Georgia Lottery scratch off ticket. Ware, a convicted felon, was declared a winner of $3 million in February 2015. The former maintenance supervisor also had an entrepreneurial spirit and decided to invest $500K of his winnings in a crystal meth operation. Police stated that Music’s crime ring stretched over two Georgia counties and made a considerable profit. Soon Ware was running a meth lab along with at least four others when police caught wind of the operation. Music was arrested earlier this year after police arrested him for trying to sell 11 pounds of crystal meth to undercover police with a value of $500K. Police then searched his home and seized $1 million worth of meth, 11 guns, the residence, a 2014 Dodge Charger and 2015 GMC Sierra and $676,243 in cash. Music is a convicted felon and faces a litany of charges that could put him jail for up to 20 years.
According to U.S. Attorney Ed Tarver, Music decided to test his luck by sinking millions of dollars of lottery winnings into the purchase and sale of crystal meth. He was indicted with four others in a drug conspiracy to possess more than 500 grams of methamphetamine for the purpose of distribution. In addition, Music was also charged with a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of firearms in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. During his trial, Music could not afford an attorney and was appointed one by the state of Georgia.
Music recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to drug trafficking and firearm possession charges. He now is awaiting sentencing in federal court.
