Lottery win takes on twist

Call it Mega Millions Mystery, Part II.

Holly Lahti, the 29-year-old Rathdrum mother of two who stepped forward on Tuesday to claim the other half of the second-largest lottery jackpot ($380 million) in U.S. history, may have to share her winnings with her estranged husband.

Court records show that Josh Lahti, 31, Rathdrum, and Holly Alford were married in May 2001. No records of a divorce could be found, setting up debate about how much of the $190 million will ultimately be hers.

Neither Josh nor Holly could be reached for comment on Friday. Lottery officials and friends of Holly's said she wants privacy until her life affairs are in order.

Josh told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the two have been married about a decade but are separated, and they have two daughters, ages 10 and 12. He said he learned about Holly's winnings from a reporter.

Records indicate a strained relationship between the two. Josh, a 1997 Lakeland High graduate, was arrested for violating a no-contact order and battery in 2002 and 2003.

The lottery amount Josh and Holly each would receive is unclear. Attorneys differ on the interpretation of the law.

"If they're married, and the winnings were made when they were married, he gets half," said Fred Gabourie, a Post Falls attorney. "It doesn't matter if they were separated or he lived in Mexico for 10 years."

But John George, an attorney with Palmer and George in Coeur d'Alene, said he doesn't believe it's that cut and dry. He believes the court, given the extreme value and unique circumstances, may consider factors such as the separation and their past to determine how to divvy up the prize.

"There's probably a good case for the argument that he's entitled to less than half," he said. "The court has lot discretion of how to divide the money."

Regardless, George said it appears a legal battle is shaping up.

Gabourie and George are not representing either Josh or Holly and are unaware of the circumstances between the two. They simply stated their interpretations of the law and were not advocating one way or another.

David Workman, Idaho Lottery spokesman, declined to comment on the situation between Josh and Holly and if the Boise agency knows about the twist.

"We just hear about these things from you guys up there," he said.

But he said only Holly will be given a check from the Lottery.

"Holly is the person who claimed the ticket, so she's the person we'll pay," Workman said.

While Holly claimed the ticket in Boise, she hasn't decided whether to take the annuity or cash option. If she elects the one-time cash option, she would receive a check for more than $80 million after taxes. If she chooses the annuity, 26 payments over 25 years, her annual payment would be $4.9 million after taxes. She has 56 days to make the decision.

Jim McCullar, 68, a retired Boeing worker from Ephrata, Wash., was the first winner to come forward to claim the Mega Millions jackpot. The two will split the $380 million prize. The odds of winning were 1 in 176 million.

Meanwhile, many people have taken their well wishes for Holly to the bank - Inland Northwest Bank, where Holly worked. She was a customer service representative at INB from August 2007 until Monday when she gave her notice at the Post Falls branch effective immediately. She also previously worked at INB's Coeur d'Alene branch.

Suzanna Spencer, INB's Post Falls branch manager, said the bank has taken about 100 calls from people, predominantly customers, wishing her well. The bank is keeping a large envelope full of cards from people for her.

"People know what a great person she is, and they are excited for her," Spencer said. "She's very well-liked. She's a great woman, and I'm sure that will never change. She's already made this place busier."

Spencer said Holly has a good head on her shoulders and is confident she'll be able to sort things out.

"It'll all be fine," Spencer said. "She just has to make it through that first month."

Acquaintances say Holly, who has a boyfriend, is the primary provider for her girls and that she has a bubbly, but down-to-earth personality.

Brad Wilde, manager of Ady's Convenience and Car Wash, where Holly bought her ticket a block from INB, knows Holly. He said he isn't surprised Holly hasn't made a public comment.

"This obviously shows that she's taking time to think about the best course of action," he said. "Her life has changed."

Wilde said the win has created fun conversations at work.

"We hope that this will increase business, especially in this downturn," he said. "This will be considered the lucky place to buy a ticket, and that's a nice title to have. But I've been getting, 'Why did you sell the winning ticket to her and not me' a lot."

The Idaho Lottery released limited information on Holly and did not release any photos of her like it normally does on big winners out of respect for her privacy.