Retired couple trump cross-dressing con artist

Paul Queary

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002 | 9:36 a.m.

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A $93 million lottery jackpot didn't go to a cross-dressing con artist who claimed to hold the winning ticket, but to a wholesome retired couple more likely to plow the money into their local food bank than blow it on fancy houses, boats and cars.

While Pat and Dick Warren of Hoquiam were accepting the first chunk of their Mega Millions prize -- the largest lottery jackpot in state history -- the man who had claimed to be the winner was being held in the Pierce County Jail for investigation of unrelated fraud and other charges.

The Warrens, while aware that someone else had claimed to be the winner, weren't up to speed on the bizarre story of the man who called a TV station claiming to be the winner and identifying himself as a woman -- Hillary Walls, 27, of Lakewood.

"I missed the good stuff," Pat Warren said in mock frustration at a Tuesday news conference. "I always miss the good stuff."

The identity of the winner of Friday's drawing was a mystery over the long Veterans Day weekend, in part because the Warrens couldn't get through to a real person at the Washington State Lottery headquarters.

The phony winner, meanwhile, had better access because he called a television station, which eventually put him in touch with Tony Molica, the lottery director.

"I had a couple of conversations with that individual, but no ticket was presented here," Molica said Tuesday.

Meanwhile Pierce County detectives recognized the man who went on TV pretending to be the lottery winner as a con artist who dresses as a woman to commit crimes, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. Detectives caught up with him Tuesday as he was shopping for a new car.

The suspect -- whose name actually is Hillary Walls, 27, of the Parkland area -- has "written bad checks, forgery, fraud, theft, you name it," Troyer said. He said the arrest was unrelated to the lottery.

Molica said he didn't know if pretending to win a lottery is against the law if no phony ticket is presented.

In fact, the ticket was purchased by Dick Warren, who said he's been spending about $10 a week on Mega Millions tickets at his local Swanson's grocery story since Washington joined the 10-state game in September.

He and his wife chose the lump-sum payment -- roughly $40.5 million after taxes -- rather than annual installments.

Warren, 70, and his wife, 69, said they live comfortably on the retirement earned during his career with companies including Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Married 48 years, the Warrens met at the University of Washington. They spent most of their lives on the East Coast before returning to Washington a few years ago.

"There's nothing really physical that we need," Warren said.

Instead, they would likely put money into causes they've worked with in the past, such as the Hoquiam Food Bank.

Warren apparently isn't totally immune to the lure of material things.

"I'd like to have a boat," he said wistfully, prompting a tart retort from his wife that will doubtless sound familiar to many retired men.

"I think the age of 70 is just a little old to go and buy your first oceangoing boat," Pat Warren said.