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Cleveland Woman Charged In Mega Millions Fiasco

Police: Elecia Battle Admits To Filing False Claim About Winning Ticket

POSTED: Friday, January 9, 2004
UPDATED: 5:21 pm EST January 9, 2004

A Cleveland woman who claimed to have lost a lottery ticket worth $162 million was charged Friday with filing a false police report.

Battle The charges came a day after 40-year-old Elecia Battle (pictured, left) told the public she was mistaken in thinking she bought -- and lost -- the winner and apologized to the real winner, Rebecca Jemison, of South Euclid, Ohio.

Police say Battle showed up at the police station with her lawyer and admitted that she filed a false claim.

The misdemeanor charge carries 30 days to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Battle's attorney, Sheldon Starke, said his client will plead no contest on Jan. 15.

Police Lt. Kevin Nietert said police pursued the charge because protecting the lottery's integrity is important.

In the days after the winning ticket was drawn for the Dec. 30 Mega Millions jackpot, Battle filed a police report claiming she'd lost the winning ticket and sued to block the certified winner from getting the winnings.

Battle later admitted she was mistaken after being shown the winning ticket. She has said she bought and lost a ticket and thought she remembered picking the winning numbers on the ticket she lost.

"I apologize to Rebecca Jemison and I wish her well. I wanted it so bad to change my life it was just overwhelming," Battle said at a news conference Thursday.

Battle has a criminal record for credit card fraud and assault.

Police said Battle used a customer's credit card number to make purchases while working at a Richmond Heights pharmacy in 1999. She paid a $450 fine for misuse of a credit card, and a 10-day jail sentence was suspended.

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