Ex-Addict Dreamed of $1-Million Lottery Win

Like most jackpot winners, Terry Garrett has been overwhelmed with people asking for money since he won $1 million last weekend in the California Lottery’s Big Spin.

But for Garrett, 39, who has been addicted to heroin and unemployed for much of the last two decades, not all of the requests have come from charitable organizations or the needy.

“I’ve had a lot of contact from people who have become mad at me, even people who didn’t care for my company,” Garrett said in an interview Thursday. “I’ve even had some druggies come up and ask me to get high.”

Garrett said he responded, “No. No. Drugs is completely out. I have a thing about that now. I figure if God is going to bless me, I’m going to stick with my promise (to stop using drugs).

“Some people never get a chance to spend their millions. It’s between myself and God to keep my promise. . . . I understand it’s easy come, easy go.”

Many of the winners of the California Lottery have told rags-to-riches stories, but Garrett’s appears more extreme than most.

According to information provided by lottery officials, Garrett is employed as a cook and enjoys swimming, basketball and roller-skating. Garrett said he is unemployed and has not been a cook for years--since he left a job at North Island Naval Air Station.

Before participating in the Big Spin last weekend, Garrett had to get permission from his probation officer to leave San Diego County to fly to Sacramento.

Garrett is serving a three-year probation after pleading guilty last year to being under the influence of narcotics and serving 57 days in San Diego County Jail.

A 12-year resident of Southeast San Diego, Garrett made headlines recently when he testified against Police Agent Donovan Jacobs in the Sagon Penn murder trial. Penn was found innocent in June of murder in the March 31, 1985, shooting death of Police Agent Thomas Riggs and attempted murder in the shooting of Jacobs.

Jacobs had arrested Garrett four times on narcotics charges, two of which resulted in convictions. Garrett was one of several witnesses who alleged that Jacobs had used excessive force while making arrests.

Asked Friday how he felt about Garrett winning $1 million, Jacobs said: “It was amusing. That was my reaction.”

Garrett said he still can’t believe he won $1 million.

“Here I am single, a bachelor who’s been without most of my life,” Garrett said. “I thought my fate of being a black sheep would never end. Even through my addiction, I’ve tried to help people. I haven’t been a terrible street junkie who robs and steals and things like that. If anything ever happened to me, I’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve suffered a lot. . . .

“I felt that one day I’ll shine, and now it’s my time to shine. I’m not making history. I’m only making publicity. It’s all a part of my destiny. I went from being poor one day to rich the next.”

Garrett said he has never owned a car or house--or even had a California driver’s license.

“Money doesn’t excite me because I’ve never had it,” he said.

Garrett, who said he has been receiving welfare payments, usually purchases five lottery tickets a week. On Aug. 3, he bought a ticket at Green Cats Liquor Store in San Diego that gave him a shot at the Big Spin, but he did not send the stub to Sacramento until Aug. 18. Four days later, lottery officials informed him he would get a spin on the lottery wheel and a minimum $10,000 prize.

Three months earlier, Garrett said, he had dreamed of spinning the Big Wheel. Twice during the week before the spin he dreamed of winning $100,000 or $1 million.

Now Garrett is having difficulty thinking of himself as a millionaire. He said that his oldest sister and his roommate have told him to start conducting himself like one.

“How does a millionaire act?” Garrett asked. “I’m going to act natural . . . I’ve never had money . . . I need transportation. They say: ‘Go buy a great, big Cadillac.’

“Give me something nice, plain and simple. Don’t give me some $25,000 car. As long as I can get around in it.

“I pray to God, ‘Don’t let me go wrong, please. Don’t let me fail you. Just spend it wisely.’ ”

Garrett will receive an annual check of $40,000 over the next 20 years. He said he understands he will have to pay back the total amount of his unemployment benefits. Lottery officials said they don’t think Garrett will have to repay welfare benefits.

Garrett said he plans to fly to Key West, Fla., his birthplace, to see his mother, who has been ill. He also is thinking of opening a fund for needy children.

During the interview, Garrett said he was first introduced to heroin at age 19 when he was sent to Vietnam in 1966.

“My whole life was changed by Vietnam,” Garrett said. “I was placed in a place where I was frightened. . . . You can get most anything you want in Vietnam. I took morphine pills to calm my nerves.”

Garrett said he has not used heroin, however, since his last arrest.

Garrett’s public defense attorney, Tom Sauer, said he could not recall Garrett. His probation officer, Keith Grefsrud, said, “He’s a pretty pleasant guy. One of the most pleasant in my caseload.”

Garrett said he was taking methadone and wasn’t on heroin when he first encountered Jacobs a couple of years ago.

“Every time he would see me he would put me in jail,” Garrett said. “I don’t know what was Jacobs’ ego trip. . . . He beat the hell out of me.”

During one arrest, Garrett testified at the Penn trial, Jacobs rammed the butt of a police baton into Garrett’s stomach and told him: “I’ll kill your black ass.”

Garrett was one of three defense witnesses who testified that they had been physically abused by Jacobs. Defense attorney Milton J. Silverman argued in court that Jacobs initiated a confrontation with Penn, 24, who is black, by launching a racist attack during a routine traffic stop.

On cross-examination, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Carpenter attempted to discredit Garrett by reciting his criminal record, including two convictions for being under the influence of narcotics.

During one exchange, the prosecutor became irritated and told Garrett: “If you’ll stop chewing your gum and listen to what I’m saying . . . “

Asked about Garrett’s lottery win, Carpenter said: “I don’t think I should comment.”

Garrett said he was happy that he “saved” the case for Penn. He has been subpoenaed to testify at Penn’s next trial on the remaining undecided charges.

“For me, being a one-time drug user, you know how prosecutors use you,” he said. “They got dirt on me. . . . After Mr. Carpenter seen that he couldn’t degrade me, I only told the truth about who I was, how I was and what I was.”