He won the grand prize in the lottery and turned his village into a drug factory.

28.01.2026 18:53

John Eric Spiby, who won millions of pounds in the lottery in England in 2010, has been revealed to have funneled his fortune into a drug lab he set up near Manchester. The 80-year-old Spiby, who operated alongside gang members and produced $288 million worth of counterfeit drugs, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term despite denying the charges.

John Eric Spiby, who gained attention years ago for winning a large lottery prize in England, has now made headlines for a very different reason.

The 80-year-old man, who was the owner of a £2.4 million lottery prize in 2010, has been revealed to have written his name into the center of a large-scale criminal investigation over the years.

ESTABLISHED A DRUG LAB, PRODUCED FAKE MEDICINES WORTH $288 MILLION

According to information in the investigation file, Spiby transformed a house in a rural area near Manchester into a drug lab after his lottery winnings. It was determined that Spiby, who operated with gang members, gradually turned to the production of fake medicines and established a large-scale organization. Authorities stated that the market value of the fake medicines produced in these facilities is approximately $288 million.

ALSO GOT HIS SON IN TROUBLE

In a raid conducted against Spiby and the individuals accompanying him, who had been under surveillance by security units for a long time, a large amount of fake medicine, various weapons, and cash were seized. During the investigations, it was also determined that the elderly man had established a second illegal production facility in the same area with his son and two other individuals.

DID NOT ACCEPT THE CHARGES IN COURT

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the elderly man denied the charges against him during the court proceedings. The defendant claimed he was unaware of the illegal activities and asserted that he had no knowledge of the contents of the production areas. However, the prosecution emphasized that the evidence in the file clearly revealed the defendant's position in the organization.

SENTENCED TO 16.5 YEARS IN PRISON

The court sentenced John Eric Spiby to 16.5 years in prison. While announcing the decision, the judge referred to the defendant's past, stating, "Despite winning the lottery, you did not leave the life of crime and continued to commit crimes at your retirement age." In the case, Spiby's son John Colin Spiby and Lee Drury were each sentenced to 18 years in prison, while another gang member, Callum Dorrian, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.