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Biography & Personal Stories
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From Millionaire to Meth Kingpin: The 18-Month Downfall of a Georgia Lottery Winner
A Georgia man won a $3 million lottery prize and, within 18 months, invested it into a meth trafficking empire. This is the story of Ronnie Music Jr.'s rapid descent from sudden wealth to a 21-year federal prison sentence for his role as a drug kingpin.
What would you do if you won the lottery? For most, the dream involves paying off debts, buying a new home, traveling the world, or securing a future for their family. For Ronnie Music Jr. of Waycross, Georgia, the dream was much darker. In February 2015, he scratched off a ticket and won a staggering $3 million. By September 2015, he was under arrest, and less than 18 months after his life-changing win, he was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison. This is the story of how a golden ticket became a one-way ticket to a federal penitentiary.
The Stroke of Fortune
In early 2015, Ronnie Music Jr. was a 45-year-old maintenance supervisor who experienced a moment of incredible luck. He won the grand prize on a Georgia Lottery instant scratch-off game, instantly making him a multi-millionaire. It was the kind of event that promises a life of ease and opportunity, a complete escape from financial worry. But as many cautionary tales of sudden wealth suggest, money doesn't build character; it reveals it. For Music, the windfall wasn't a foundation for a new life, but rather venture capital for a new, and highly illegal, enterprise.
A Criminal Investment Strategy
Instead of consulting a financial advisor, Music decided to invest his winnings in a market with dangerously high returns: methamphetamine. Court documents and federal prosecutors revealed that Music began funneling his lottery money into a large-scale crystal meth distribution ring. He connected with a group of co-conspirators and became the financier, using his newfound riches to purchase kilograms of the drug for resale across Georgia.
U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “Music decided to test his luck by sinking his lottery winnings into the purchase and sale of crystal meth.” It was a brazen move that quickly escalated his operation from a small-time affair into a significant threat that drew the attention of federal law enforcement.
Building an Empire, Drawing Attention
With millions at his disposal, Music's operation grew rapidly. He and his associates were dealing in multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine. The investigation, led by the DEA and local law enforcement, ultimately brought down the entire network. During the operation, agents seized over 11 pounds of crystal meth, with a street value exceeding $1 million. The raids also uncovered a small arsenal of firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, multiple vehicles purchased with drug money, and over $600,000 in cash.
This wasn't a low-level operation; it was a burgeoning drug empire funded by a lottery ticket. Music had successfully turned his winnings into the primary asset of a major trafficking conspiracy, proving that bad decisions can scale just as quickly as a stock portfolio.
The Inevitable Fall
In September 2016, Music pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearm charges. His gamble had failed spectacularly. The man who held a $3 million winning ticket was now facing decades behind bars. A federal judge sentenced him to 262 months—more than 21 years—in federal prison, where there is no possibility of parole. He was also ordered to forfeit the millions in assets tied to his criminal enterprise.
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy summed up the case perfectly: “The recipient of a multi-million dollar lottery prize, this defendant conspired to distribute methamphetamine. He will now be forced to pay for his greed and poor judgment.” Ronnie Music Jr.’s story is a stark reminder that fortune, without foresight and character, can be a curse, leading not to a dream life, but to a very long nightmare behind bars.