Georgia Man Wins $3 Million Lottery, Invests In Crystal Meth

What would you do if you won the lottery? It’s a question that has occupied our daydreaming space for decades. New house? Maybe a new car, or something practical such as paying off student loans? Or maybe you’ve heard about all the lottery winners who go bankrupt, and you decide that won’t happen to you; investing the money sounds like a great idea. Just don’t put your money into a thriving meth business; it may be lucrative, but their IPO will send the stock flailing.

Despite the risks, that’s exactly what Ronnie Music, Jr. of Georgia did. He got lucky playing a scratch-off ticket, and at the time he said he would save some of the money. What he didn’t say was that he would put at least $1 million of it into firearms, vehicles and methamphetamine. It feels appropriate to mention at this time that Ronnie is a former convicted felon. He was caught when two of his pushers were seized trying to peddle 11 pounds of meth. He has been arrested and pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearms charges. So how much jail time is he looking at?

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ronnie is facing decades in prison. If he attempted to peddle more than 500 grams of meth – which equals roughly 1 and one-quarter pounds, so he absolutely did – he faces a minimum 10 year sentence and potentially millions of dollars in fines. But that’s not all, according to the Department of Justice, the big lotto winner could also receive an additional 15 years if the firearms were stolen and/or used in drug trafficking, which they were. It’s important to remember that Ronnie is an ex-con, and according to the District Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, he faces a life sentence. It’s unclear whether parole will be possible.

Although it can be tough to determine what you would do with lottery winnings, investing in drugs is obviously the wrong way to go. Crime does not pay. Usually scratch-lottery tickets don’t either, so it’s best to lay off those as well.