He Won $7,500 In The Lottery; Why Has It Taken 3 Years To Get Paid?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- You win the Lottery, but then you don't get the money. What happens next?
In this case, CBS 2 Investigator Dorothy Tucker gets involved.
Sherman Holmes makes the trek to his neighborhood store every week to buy Lottery tickets. In 2013, he won $7,500.
"Yeah, I just was so happy. I thought I was going to get some money, and I didn't get any," he said. "I was so disappointed, I didn't know what to do."
Instead of his money, he got a letter from the Illinois Lottery, telling him the state kept his winnings, because of past-due child support.
"From what they said, $9,000," Holmes said. "All my children is grown. They grown and got families of their own."
At the time, Holmes' children were in their 30s. Soon after, his ex-wife had died.
"So why should I owe child support?" he said.
Holmes eventually took his argument to court, and in August 2016 a judge ordered the Illinois Department of Heathcare and Family Services to review the account. That October, the judge ruled "no monies owed to the state," and ordered the Illinois Lottery to send Holmes his winnings.
That was nearly three years ago, but he still hasn't received his winnings.
"They don't care what the judges say. They do what they want to do," Holmes said.
After calls from CBS 2, the department investigated. A spokesman apologized, said Holmes should have received the check in 2016, and promised he would be paid.
While he hopes to win again, $7,500 is on its way.
In case you're wondering, when you win the Illinois Lottery, besides overdue child support, the state also can garnish your winnings if you owe back taxes, unpaid parking tickets, or student loans.