Lottery Millionaire Takes Spin in New Car, Ends Up in Jail

Talk about ups and downs.

On Aug. 30, Terry Garrett, 39, of San Diego won $1 million in the California Lottery’s “Big Spin.” With his first year’s installment of $40,000 he paid off some bills. He gave some money to his mother in Florida. He vowed to himself to break a heroin habit that had dogged him throughout his adult life.

And Garrett went out and laid out $10,000 cash for a brand new automobile, a Buick Skylark--the first car he had ever owned.

Police say he was behind the wheel of the car last Thursday when Garrett, his girlfriend and a buddy were arrested by undercover narcotics officers.

Now Garrett, less than a month after collecting the first of his lottery winnings, is in the San Diego County Jail, charged with felony counts of selling and possessing cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm.

And the new car is locked in a federal government parking lot, seized in connection with the cocaine arrest and subject to forfeiture to the United States.

Garrett pleaded innocent to the charges Monday at an arraignment in San Diego Municipal Court. But that case is only part of the problems of the Key West, Fla., native.

He was back in court Tuesday, pleading innocent before a San Diego County Superior Court judge--this time to a petty theft charge that predated his winning lottery spin by a little more than a month.

According to Garrett’s lawyer, Earl Durham, Garrett insists that he had no idea where he was going last Thursday when he drove one of his roommates, Tony Lewis, to the parking lot of a department store in east San Diego.

Officers from the San Diego County Integrated Narcotic Task Force had set up a meeting there with Lewis, a task force spokesman said Tuesday. One month earlier, an undercover officer allegedly bought half an ounce of cocaine from Lewis, 21. The meeting last week at the parking lot was to complete a $10,000 purchase of 10 ounces of the drug--and Lewis’ arrest, the spokesman said.

Lewis, too, pleaded innocent to the drug charges Monday, as did Garrett’s girlfriend, Loretta Woods.

The theft charge involves two bottles of cognac taken from a market July 20. Garrett initially was represented in the case by a court-appointed lawyer. But when lottery officials notified him that he would be appearing on the “Big Spin” telecast, Garrett contacted Durham.

“He said, ‘I have no money, but on Saturday I will,’ ” Durham recalled. “I said, ‘OK. I’ll take your case.’ ”

Garrett is on probation for an earlier narcotics conviction. Court records show he has been convicted previously on charges of theft and receiving stolen property as well. He has acknowledged a longstanding addiction to heroin as well.

Garrett remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond.