Naperville Lottery Winner Served Time in Prison for Drug Conviction: Report

Written by Shannon Antinori

A 70-year-old retiree who won the biggest prize in Illinois Lottery history served 12 years in prison on a 1994 drug conviction, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Jesus Davila Jr. matched all six numbers to win a Jan. 16 Mega Millions jackpo t, lottery officials announced Tuesday. The $265 million jackpot is the largest since 2012.

It’s a lucky break for Davila, a retired professional driver, who was convicted of felony manufacture and delivery of cocaine more than two decades ago.

A spokesman for Davila, who has four children and four grandchildren, told the paper he did not know the details of the drug case, but said the retiree had no prior arrests before the conviction and has stayed out of trouble since.

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After taxes, Davila will receive a one-time cash payout of $178 million, lottery officials said Tuesday.