A Wisconsin woman who won the $100,000 lottery won’t claim the total prize because she has outstanding debts due to the state.
Valerie Diestelmeier, of Eau Claire, won the lottery Thursday, local television station WEAU reported. But the Wisconsin Department of Revenue told her she needs to pay of thousands in unpaid fines to claim what’s left of her winnings.
“When a lottery winner wins $600 or more we automatically check that person for any state debt that might be outstanding and if any are discovered the winnings are used to offset that state debt before that winning balance will go to that individual,” department spokeswoman Patty Mayers told WEAU.
Diestelmeier’s fines stem from around 40 different court cases, the station reports.
The lottery will pay out what’s left of the prize after Diestelmeier’s debts are settled.
She told WEAU that the fines weren’t important to her and that it was a good thing that she won the lottery.
