I can't figure out who's dumber here - the thieves for leaving the money or Whittaker for leaving the cash and cashier's checks in the car. On the other hand, when you've got $113 million in cash, it ain't no big deal
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CROSS LANES, W.Va. — Someone broke into Powerball winner Jack Whittaker's (search) sport utility vehicle outside a strip club Tuesday morning and stole about $545,000, but the money was later recovered.
Whittaker, a Scott Depot resident who hit Powerball's richest jackpot on Christmas Day, arrived at the Pink Pony in Cross Lanes around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and parked his Lincoln Navigator outside the main entrance.
Someone broke out the driver's side window and took a black briefcase containing $245,000 in cash and three blank $100,000 cashier's checks, said Kanawha County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Phil Morris.
The briefcase, cash and checks were later found behind a Dumpster on the property, Morris said.
A window on a second vehicle parked on the lot also was broken, he said.
Police have suspects but no arrests have been made, he said.
Employees at the Pink Pony would not comment.
"[Whittaker] gambles quite a bit, and we believe that's the reason that the large sum of money was in possession in at this time," an official told the Charleston Daily Mail (search).
Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming in Nitro is about a mile from the Pink Pony, but it was not clear Tuesday morning if Whittaker had been at the greyhound track before going to the club.
Whittaker claimed a $113 million cash option after winning a record $314.9 million jackpot on Christmas Day.
Whittaker was at the club later Tuesday morning but left without commenting. His spokesman, Bill Bissett, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.
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CROSS LANES, W.Va. — Someone broke into Powerball winner Jack Whittaker's (search) sport utility vehicle outside a strip club Tuesday morning and stole about $545,000, but the money was later recovered.
Whittaker, a Scott Depot resident who hit Powerball's richest jackpot on Christmas Day, arrived at the Pink Pony in Cross Lanes around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and parked his Lincoln Navigator outside the main entrance.
Someone broke out the driver's side window and took a black briefcase containing $245,000 in cash and three blank $100,000 cashier's checks, said Kanawha County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Phil Morris.
The briefcase, cash and checks were later found behind a Dumpster on the property, Morris said.
A window on a second vehicle parked on the lot also was broken, he said.
Police have suspects but no arrests have been made, he said.
Employees at the Pink Pony would not comment.
"[Whittaker] gambles quite a bit, and we believe that's the reason that the large sum of money was in possession in at this time," an official told the Charleston Daily Mail (search).
Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming in Nitro is about a mile from the Pink Pony, but it was not clear Tuesday morning if Whittaker had been at the greyhound track before going to the club.
Whittaker claimed a $113 million cash option after winning a record $314.9 million jackpot on Christmas Day.
Whittaker was at the club later Tuesday morning but left without commenting. His spokesman, Bill Bissett, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.
