80yo lottery winner uses $66 million jackpot to start fake drug lab, makes $400 million before being caught

We’ve all fantasized about what we’d do if we won the lottery. Travel the world staying at the finest hotels, buy an opulent mansion, pay off your family’s mortgages, set up a fake pharmaceuticals lab, and launch a crime empire…

That last one may sound bizarre, but that’s precisely what 80-year-old British man John Eric Spilby did after he won a $3.3 million (£2.4 million) lottery jackpot in 2010. Most people would use this lucky break as an opportunity to kick back and enjoy a golden retirement.

But it seems Spilby was somewhat more… entrepreneurial. As detailed in court, he used his winnings to set up a laboratory in premises near his “quiet, rural” home and began producing fake pharmaceuticals. He had soon assembled a small team of four men (including his son) and used his money to “adapt the premises and purchase machinery”.

British pensioner John Spiby won £2.4 million in the lottery.

He used the money to build a lab where he produced fake prescription drugs with his sons, turning it into a £288 million operation.

He was sentenced to 16 years in prison at age 80.

It’s never too late to make it pic.twitter.com/nf0W88m0fj

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Once all this was in place, Spilby masterminded a scheme to create millions of tablets that appeared to be similar to diazepam (also known as Valium) and began making a lot of money. How much? Well, cops allege the fake drugs were produced on “an industrial scale”, with an estimated value of an incredible $400 million (£288 million).

“Elon and Jeff best watch their backs.”

All of which means that Spilby’s son understandably boasted in a group chat that: “Elon and Jeff best watch their backs.” 

But, eventually, it all came crashing down when one of his vans was intercepted by cops while transporting 2.5 million fake tablets. Despite denying everything, a jury found Spilby guilty of conspiracy to produce class C drugs, conspiracy to supply class C drugs, illegal firearms possession, possession of ammunition, and perverting the course of justice.

Judge Clark KC agreed that these fake drugs had caused “untold harm” to those addicted to them and said:

You provided the premises and helped adapt the premises and purchase machinery. You were senior both in name and role. Despite your lottery win, you continued to live your life of crime beyond what would be a normal retirement age.”

Spilby was sentenced to 16 years and six months, meaning that if he’s released on license after serving half, he’ll be pushing 90. Even at that age, we think the cops should probably keep a close eye on what’s up to next