MEGA MILLIONS For false claim, woman is fined, put on probation

The city of South Euclid spent thousands on the investigation and security.
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio (AP) -- Elecia Battle's dreams of becoming a multimillionaire ended with a check.
But Battle was the one writing it.
She paid a $1,000 fine, court costs and $5,596.71 in restitution to this Cleveland suburb after being convicted Tuesday of filing a false police report claiming she bought and lost the $162 million winning Mega Millions lottery ticket.
Battle, 41, of Cleveland, avoided a six-month jail sentence and will spend a year on probation.
"I just want to say that I'm not a loser, I'm a winner. I have not been defeated. I'm victorious," Battle said after the sentencing. "I still turned out as a winner.
"I'm glad it's over for my husband, our children, our parents," she said. "I just need to move on more positive, forward with my life, our life."
Besides the fine, Battle paid $5,596.71 in restitution for police overtime, security and other costs related to the case that has drawn international press attention.
"The court feels like it is an appropriate resolution. In this case, the main victim was the city of South Euclid and the nature of this agreement it is an attempt to make the city of South Euclid whole again," Municipal Court Judge Patricia Ann Kleri said.
What happened
Shortly after the Dec. 30 Mega Millions drawing, Battle filed a police report saying she had bought the winning ticket but lost it. A few days later, Rebecca Jemison, 34, of South Euclid, produced the winning ticket and claimed the jackpot.
Battle sued to block payment but later dropped her lawsuit and tearfully apologized. She initially pleaded no contest Jan. 15 and was found guilty, then withdrew her plea Feb. 12.
The Mega Millions case brought bad luck to a city already going through hard times financially.
The city of 23,537 people missed out on $1.4 million in expected income taxes because the city never updated its charter so it could tax lottery winnings. Then, it had to pay thousands to investigate the case, guard the real winner's home and secure a once low-key city hall. South Euclid has a $700,000 budget shortfall.
Lawyer's view
Joan Synenberg, Battle's lawyer, said her client didn't deserve to go to jail for the one-count misdemeanor.
"No one was hurt and if there was any victim as Judge Kleri said it was the city of South Euclid, and any kind of victimization that was done was purely financial," Synenberg said.
She said Battle voluntarily enrolled at Women's Re-Entry Resource Network, a nonprofit counseling program that helps women who have been in the criminal justice systems turn their lives around.
The Ohio Lottery said it was confident Jemison was the winner all along. Jemison provided another lottery ticket bought at the same time and location and had a lottery ticket that showed she had played the same numbers in the prior drawing, the lottery said.