Lottery hoax causes riot at Ohio coat store

Source: San Francisco Chronicle


Lottery hoax causes riot at Ohio coat store

By MEGHAN BARR, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, October 14, 2009


(10-14) 18:09 PDT Columbus, Ohio (AP) --

A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she'd won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax.

Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said.

Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said. Brown walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won the lottery and would pay for each person's merchandise up to $500, he said.

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People flooded the registers as cashiers began ringing up purchase after purchase, but Brown had not yet paid the bill, Deakins said. At least 500 people filled the aisles and another 1,000 were outside trying to get in, he said.

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About an hour later, Brown had the limousine driver take her to a bank to withdraw money, but she returned empty-handed, police Detective Steven Nace said. By then, store employees had called in two dozen police officers to handle the crowds.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/14/financial/f171753D81.DTL&tsp=1

Greedy chumps.

but she will do some serious time for grand theft

With a good attorney she gets a break.

but in this country? Even if she is found not guilty by reason, she is going to be committed.

Did she leave with any merchandise she didn't pay for?

Yes, she's guilty of pulling a prank ...

"Brown, 44, was arrested on three outstanding warrants for aggravated menacing, misuse of a 911 system and causing false alarms. She was jailed late Wednesday, but no charges had been filed against her related to the coat store chaos pending a mental health evaluation."



people never read the full article :eyes:

and find she is capable of standing trial... each 500 dollar bill will be a count of grand theft. It is over the 400 dollar mark that would be a misdemeanor.

That, I don't understand ... yes, I get that she has other charges possible, but "grand theft"???

Probably not grand theft, but it is still theft.

thanks ...

Grand theft is pretty unlikely. She didn't walk away with anything. What she'll probably end up with is probation and a fine for inciting a riot.

Now they're going to find her to be unhinged, and she'll get off with a few free meals and a night in the pokey.

The lottery is not real.

he bought his mom a house, a new car and a hardware store. I don't know how much he had left all I know was some of what he done with the winnings, he also opted out on the time payments and took the 1 time lump sum. He came from a very poor family, back when we were in school him and his bothers had very little as his father was disabled and his mom worked part time seasonal at the pickle factory, LOL, Valasics had a small plant in the small town the school was in.

The gov't is beaming high frequency radiation into our head chips to make us THINK there is an internet. :eyes:

because all I get on mine is really bad porn.

So in Washington state, it's real.

For anyone in that store to take it on faith is pretty ridiculous. No doubt they'll be in biiiig trubble.

Why do I think this is funny?

I know it caused chaos. I know it is wrong. Why am I chortling?

I did laugh when reading the story. Sorry for being such a bastard. :)

the part of the story that is crazy is that those people all fell for her story and stole merchandize when they found out it wouldn't be free. So many sickos in one store. Some of them probably had their kids with them.

Now, that would have been a hoot.

Burlington should volunteer to pick up the tab. That would be a great "happy" ending to an incredible advertising coup. I betcha that Macy's top brass is fuming that the insane woman didn't pick their store.

Note how all the Burlington execs are smiling. Christmas came early this year!

They are so happy that they established their own $500 Shopping Spree contest and you can participate. Just go to http://www.bcfsweeps.com/ and enter to win!

LOOT THE STORE?! Seriously?

that instead of directing their anger to the person who scammed them they take it out on the store who had no part in them being mislead.

In the end it was the store that ultimately ended up being the victim due to selfishness and greed on those on the part of those who rioted.

And the police should let her go. There was nothing illegal about her prank. Inciting a riot is a stretch. The customers were greedy fools. The store management were idiots for letting her ring up such a tab before asking her to pay...especially with her story about winning the lotto and paying for everyone's purchases. They might have wanted to confirm that she had the funds first.

So the fact that this woman, by her actions, caused some probably insignificant amount of property loss and/or damage to a store is totally inconsequential, eh? She should be let go, eh? It's all the store's fault, eh?

Sheesh, the mentality of some people.

Sad commentary on our society, isn't it?

looting and rioting. It was the store and the greedy customers.

clue- this wasn't her first time "having a little fun"...

"Anyone can qualify! Live the American dream!"

I don't recall anyone getting arrested for that "hoax."

Or the derivatives "hoax."

Or the credit-default swaps "hoax."

Or the Saddam has weapons of mass destruction "hoax."

Shall I continue...?

:thumbsup:

who would just stand there and ring up a big tickect based on some ladys " I am paying for everybodys clothes"!!!

I would have said thats fine but its a pay as you go deal so ring up the first one and pay!!

harumph.

Ben Bernake and President Obama. You ain't gettin' nothin'-for-nothin' (sic) unless of course you are a special interest, big bank or an insurance company.

Well, I take that back. President Obama is giving Senior Citizens $250 to make up for the screw-job on Social Security COLA. If my math is correct , this is roughly $20 a month.. which won't even buy a good bottle of booze... well maybe some cheap crap at the Wal-Mart Liquor store.

we need to work on that.

Source: MSNBC

updated 9:42 p.m. ET, Wed., Oct . 14, 2009
‘Lottery winner’ causes riot at Ohio coat store
Woman’s promise to pay for everyone’s purchases ends up being a hoax


COLUMBUS, Ohio - A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she'd won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax.

Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said.

Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said. Brown walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won the lottery and would pay for each person's merchandise up to $500, he said.

(snip)

"Well, of course, people like to hear that," Deakins said. "Apparently they were in line calling relatives who were not at the store and told them to come."

People flooded the registers as cashiers began ringing up purchase after purchase, but Brown had not yet paid the bill, Deakins said. At least 500 people filled the aisles and another 1,000 were outside trying to get in, he said.

(snip)



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33319472/ns/us_news-weird_news/

n/t

The woman clearly has issues. But the customers in the store rioting? Wtf?

how often does a customer come in and declare such a thing. I think it is safe to say they also got caught up in the "lets make a few more bucks than we ever expected to today" fever too!

people lose all rationality. :eyes:

another psych issue. Limo drivers don't ask for money up front I guess, that is one hefty fee.

The comments a few people left? They are horrible!!

A mid-'60s movie, with Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon (pre-99).

Dick is the majordomo to a rich dowager who has gone broke and keeps her solvent by way of numerous scams -- and plans a Christmas heist as that One Last Big Score.

His "gang" of fellow butlers and charladies hit Macy's on Christmas eve and pull one such stunt to conceal their activities. The Pruitts of Southampton and A New Leaf came in its wake.

Well worth renting, especially about 6-8 weeks from now.

--d!

wouldn't have made it on to the local nigthly news.

Look at the footage from the local TV channel.

Did a lot of folks show up? Yes. But I didn't see a trace of a riot, nor an arrest, so the headline is very inflammatory.

Guess she meant well. :D

:eyes: