Wife steals $25million lottery winnings, kicks husband out of the house
Kenneth Parker says he and his wife, Connie, always dreamed of winning the lottery — but when the couple finally hit a $25 million jackpot, the 77-year-old Long Island man found out his wife's dreams didn't include him. Just months after their February lottery win, the 74-year-old woman booted him from their new condo in Melville, refused to give him any money, and cut off contact with him, he charged yesterday.
Kenneth Parker said his wife used underhanded tactics to get the money into an account she alone controlled. The snubbed hubby believes his wife did it so his kids from a previous marriage would inherit none of the winnings. Now he is divorcing her, and yesterday filed a motion in Suffolk County Court seeking half of the jackpot. "I feel betrayed," he said yesterday. "I couldn't believe she was doing this to me. I'm still bitter. I loved her."
The Parkers were married in 1987. Kenneth had five kids with his previous wife and Connie had three. They had little money, but constantly played the lottery, dreaming of hitting it big, he said. On Feb. 12, their dream came true, when they won with a ticket bought at the Massapequa Mall — with $20 that Kenneth claims he gave his wife.
"We were going to buy a new condo and a new car — enjoy the rest of our lives and travel," he said. But, Kenneth claims, his wife started trying to usurp the money at the lottery office, when she alone signed the ticket. Kenneth said he questioned it, but her son, who accompanied her, insisted she alone sign. He said he agreed not to sign after a lottery worker told him there would be no problem because they were married.
A few months later, they bought a condo. But he was surprised to find that only her name was on the closing papers. He also was surprised to find out that she put the money into an account to which he had no access. He said that in June, she locked him out of the condo.
"She had a chance to at least give me half," said Kenneth, who spoke yesterday alongside lawyer Dominic Barbara. "She left me to fend for myself. I had to go and live with my son."
Connie Parker's lawyer later released a statement that called the husband's allegations a "mischaracterization" of the facts and said that her client was "anguished" by his allegations. But the lawyer would not address any specific claims.
A neighbor in the gated community where the Parkers bought their new $500,000 condo said he thought something was wrong between the couple. "The man introduced himself to me. He said his name was Ken. He was a great guy," said the neighbor. "Then, all of a sudden, he disappeared."
Soon, the neighbor — who didn't want his name in the newspaper — saw a woman moving alone into the home, leading him to wonder if Ken had died. Told of the divorce, the neighbor said, "Women always have the upper hand."
Kenneth Parker says he and his wife, Connie, always dreamed of winning the lottery — but when the couple finally hit a $25 million jackpot, the 77-year-old Long Island man found out his wife's dreams didn't include him. Just months after their February lottery win, the 74-year-old woman booted him from their new condo in Melville, refused to give him any money, and cut off contact with him, he charged yesterday.
Kenneth Parker said his wife used underhanded tactics to get the money into an account she alone controlled. The snubbed hubby believes his wife did it so his kids from a previous marriage would inherit none of the winnings. Now he is divorcing her, and yesterday filed a motion in Suffolk County Court seeking half of the jackpot. "I feel betrayed," he said yesterday. "I couldn't believe she was doing this to me. I'm still bitter. I loved her."
The Parkers were married in 1987. Kenneth had five kids with his previous wife and Connie had three. They had little money, but constantly played the lottery, dreaming of hitting it big, he said. On Feb. 12, their dream came true, when they won with a ticket bought at the Massapequa Mall — with $20 that Kenneth claims he gave his wife.
"We were going to buy a new condo and a new car — enjoy the rest of our lives and travel," he said. But, Kenneth claims, his wife started trying to usurp the money at the lottery office, when she alone signed the ticket. Kenneth said he questioned it, but her son, who accompanied her, insisted she alone sign. He said he agreed not to sign after a lottery worker told him there would be no problem because they were married.
A few months later, they bought a condo. But he was surprised to find that only her name was on the closing papers. He also was surprised to find out that she put the money into an account to which he had no access. He said that in June, she locked him out of the condo.
"She had a chance to at least give me half," said Kenneth, who spoke yesterday alongside lawyer Dominic Barbara. "She left me to fend for myself. I had to go and live with my son."
Connie Parker's lawyer later released a statement that called the husband's allegations a "mischaracterization" of the facts and said that her client was "anguished" by his allegations. But the lawyer would not address any specific claims.
A neighbor in the gated community where the Parkers bought their new $500,000 condo said he thought something was wrong between the couple. "The man introduced himself to me. He said his name was Ken. He was a great guy," said the neighbor. "Then, all of a sudden, he disappeared."
Soon, the neighbor — who didn't want his name in the newspaper — saw a woman moving alone into the home, leading him to wonder if Ken had died. Told of the divorce, the neighbor said, "Women always have the upper hand."
