Woman blows $1M jackpot in ethical lapse

MEDFORD, Ore., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- An Oregon court has ruled that a woman who bought a lottery ticket with a stolen credit card must forfeit a $1 million jackpot.

The court awarded the money to the Medford Police Department, The Medford Mail Tribune reported.

Christina Goodenow of White City bought the ticket in 2005 with a credit card in the name of her then-boyfriend’s mother, who had been dead for a year. Goodenow continued to use the credit card and got caught -- even though she used some of her first payout on the lottery winnings to pay the $12,000 balance on the card.

Goodenow pleaded no contest to theft charges. When she was sentenced to probation Thursday, Jackson County Circuit Judge Ray White ordered the forfeiture of her lottery winnings.

Goodenow claims bought the lottery ticket with her own money, and said she plans to appeal the forfeiture.

"Where is the crime, and who is the victim?" she asked.