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2 Mega Winners, 1 Big Loser13 November 2002OLYMPIA, Washington -- As reported by the Seattle Times: ``As Dick and Pat Warren moved what they thought could be a $93 million lottery ticket from under the John Wayne refrigerator magnet to a hiding place in one of Pat's too-many-to-count books, a cross-dressing grifter in Tacoma was claiming to be the big winner and shopping for a Hummer to drive to Olympia to claim the jackpot. ``Yesterday afternoon, the Warrens of Hoquiam were officially declared Washington's first winners in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game. ``At the same time, Hillary Walls, 27, of Lakewood, Pierce County, was being bailed out of jail where he had been booked on theft and forgery warrants. ``So ended three-plus days of anxiety, doubt and strained patience for the real winners. ``...But there was also a TV story about a woman in Tacoma claiming to be the winner and shown shopping for a Harley and a $100,000 Humvee. ``Walls had contacted a TV station claiming to be the winner and was put in touch with lottery director Tony Molica. ```I had a couple of conversations with that individual, but no ticket was presented here,' Molica said. ``Walls showed up on TV Monday night shopping for a car at a Tacoma Cadillac dealer. ``Detectives recognized Walls as a con artist with a record of forgery and theft convictions, according to Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. They were automatically suspicious..." |