Food Stamp Millionaire

Thursday, 19 May 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Leroy Fick’s luck may have just run out. Fick, who won $2 million in the lottery earlier this year, caught the eye of Michigan lawmakers after he applied and was told he still qualified for the state’s food stamp program. The Detroit Free-Press says the “Food Stamp Millionaire” was found out after a neighbor saw him using his benefit card at the store. Fick told reporters “his use of food stamps was justified because the government took more than half of his winnings in taxes.” That’s not exactly correct, but the Free-Press says because lottery earnings are considered liquid assets and not actual income, Fick does technically qualify for food stamps.