Record lottery winner arrested on DUI, weapons charges
West Virginian carrying $117,000 in cash at time of latest incident
Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Posted: 11:32 PM EST (0432 GMT)



CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- A man who won a record $315 million in the Powerball lottery was taken to jail on charges of drunken driving and carrying a pistol, authorities said.

Jack Whittaker, 57, was arrested Tuesday night after his Hummer struck a concrete median on the West Virginia Turnpike near Beckley.

Senior Trooper M.J. Pinardo reported that he smelled alcohol, but Whittaker refused sobriety tests and was "extremely belligerent." Troopers also said they found a small pistol in Whittaker's boot and he was carrying $117,000 in cash.

Whittaker, who was alone, complained of back pain. He was treated at a hospital, and then jailed early Wednesday.

Whittaker was released after he was arraigned and posted $1,700 bail. Besides the DUI and weapons charge, he was charged with failure to maintain control of his vehicle and failure to submit to a breath test.

It was the latest in a series of incidents involving Whittaker since he took home, in 2002, the largest single jackpot ever.

Whittaker's vehicle, business and home have allegedly been broken into multiple times.

The body of 18-year-old Jesse Joe Tribble was found at Whittaker's home in September. Tribble's death was not a crime and Whittaker was out of town at the time.

Whittaker also faces charges of assaulting and threatening a manager at a bar in January.

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Jennifer
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