A man from Georgia made headlines when he won a staggering $3 million lottery jackpot but decided to invest it in a highly illegal and dangerous venture: a methamphetamine ring.
Ronnie Music Jr., 45 years old at the time, purchased a winning ticket for Georgia's instant '100X the Money' game in February 2015 from a delicatessen in his hometown of Waycross.
The man's big win in the lottery should have changed his life for the better. It could have given him money and chances to succeed.
But instead, he made a bad decision. When he found out he won, he couldn't believe it. He said he would save some of the money for later. But things didn't go as planned.
Later on, an investigation showed that he did something illegal.
He didn't use the money wisely. Instead of making good choices, he got involved in criminal activity.
Rather than investing in legitimate ventures like property or stocks, Music used his newfound wealth to buy a significant amount of crystal methamphetamine.
It was only when his partners in the drug ring were caught attempting to sell around 11 pounds of crystal meth, worth approximately $500,000 at the time, that Music's involvement was spotted.
The investigation uncovered that he had financed the purchase of the drugs to sell them.
Further inquiries exposed Music's connection to a larger operation involving over $1 million worth of methamphetamine, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, and over $600,000 in cash.
However, less than a month after the thwarted sale of the meth, law enforcement arrested Music in Tennessee when he attempted to sell the drug to a confidential informant.
During the arrest, Music's girlfriend and their infant daughter were also present in the car he used for the illicit transaction.
Music, who already had a criminal record, pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearm charges.
In 2017, he was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison.
United States attorney Edward J. Tarver emphasized that Music's decision to use his lottery winnings to invest in crystal meth demonstrated his unsound judgment and predatory nature.
Tarver stated that Music's actions had not only posed life-threatening dangers but also caused fear and harm within the community.
