Michigan lottery winner known for collecting food stamps found dead in river
A lottery winner in Michigan who previously made headlines for collecting food stamps despite his $1 million pot was found dead floating in a river earlier this month, according to authorities.
The Midland Police department on Thursday confirmed the body discovered in the Tittabawassee River on June 5 was that of 69-year-old Leroy Fick. Authorities did not disclose his cause of death but said the circumstances did not appear to be suspicious, MLive reported.
Fick won the $2 million prize in his hometown of Auburn and collected a lump post-tax sum of $998,570 after winning Michigan’s Make Me Rich lottery in June 2010. He also went on to appear on TLC’s show, “The Lottery Changed my Life.”
He used his winning to demolish his home and then build a new one on the same site. Fick also purchased a brand-new Chevrolet Camaro, as well as spent a significant amount on fireworks.
Just two years later, all the money was gone and Fick would go on to confess he was still receiving government assistance through a Bridge Card.
The next year, Amanda Clayton, from Lincoln Park, won $1 million on “Make Me Rich!” and similarly continued using her Bridge Card.
Their behavior resulted in a new law requiring the Michigan Lottery to provide to the Department of Human Services the name and other information of a person who wins $1,000 or more. From there, the agency must then administer an asset test to determine whether the winner is still eligible for assistance.
