Marie Holmes: $188 Million Lottery Winner Posts $21 Million Bail For ‘Drug-Dealer’ Boyfriend As He Sports Rolex
The $188 million lottery winner from North Carolina, Marie Holmes, has stirred controversy after posting $21 million worth of bail for her alleged drug-dealer boyfriend. Although Holmes won $188 million in the lottery, she only walked away with $88 million after taxes, opting for a lump sum payout. Therefore, if her boyfriend doesn’t show back up for court on his appointed date, Holmes stands to lose nearly one-fourth of her total lottery winnings.
The Daily Mail reports that many are criticizing North Carolina lottery winner Marie Holmes for using her earnings to bail out her boyfriend from jail. Just a couple weeks after receiving the lump sum payout of $88 million, Holmes used $3 million to bail out her man. After bailing boyfriend and alleged drug dealer Lamarr McDow from jail, the man moved into a newly purchased $350,000 home in a gated community with Holmes. However, their time together was short-lived before Holmes was again bailing out McDow. In August 2015, she posted a further $6 million bail for breaking pre-trial release program rules. After the second bailout, the problems didn’t end. On New Year’s Day, Holmes paid an additional $12 million bail after McDow was allegedly involved in an illegal street race.
With all three bail amounts combined, Holmes spent an astonishing $21 million in a matter of months on bailing out McDow from jail. With nearly a quarter of her earnings on hold until McDow appears in court, Holmes is relying on McDow to show up to court or she could lose the entire $21 million with one failed court appearance.
Although some are critical of the single mother of four’s use of lottery funds, McDow says that people are just “jealous” that she has the money to bail him out because people would like to see him in jail.
“We are a couple, and I am the father of her youngest child. This is what people do for each other. She has the money and she can do what she wants with it. If I had that money then I would do the same for her. People are just jealous because of how much she won and people want to see me locked in jail.”
Isn’t this lovely..Boyfriend $188m lottery winner bailed out: She’s standing by her man https://t.co/p4aA6dw6gs via @MailOnline
— Chiozza Law Firm (@ChiozzaLaw) January 7, 2016
McDow was also sure to point out that he was not with Holmes for her money as he was with the mother of his child for two years before she won the lottery. McDow also claims that he helped Holmes support her four children and mother before her lottery win. McDow says the criticism isn’t affecting them at all and that Holmes plans to continue to “stand by her man.”
“People can say what they like and it don’t hurt us. She is standing by her man.”
Lottery winner stumps up millions to bail fiancé out of jail for the FOURTH time https://t.co/P42KtKskBx pic.twitter.com/pyYALgr9aL
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) January 2, 2016
In addition to the hefty bail amounts, Holmes also purchased McDow a diamond-encrusted gold Rolex watch and a new pickup truck. She also helped her boyfriend start an auto repair business.
Although Homes is being criticized for using her funds to bail out her man, Fox News reports she also donated $680,000 to Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. It is reported that Holmes stands to lose her first chunk of money on January 19, 2016, if McDow decides not to show up to court for his street racing charges.
What do you think about Marie Holmes using nearly a quarter of her lottery winnings to bail out her boyfriend from jail?
[Photo by AP Images/North Carolina Education Lottery]
