A man who thought he’d hit the jackpot — literally — says his entire $3.6 million lottery prize has been stolen by his longtime girlfriend, who allegedly emptied his accounts and fled the country with another man. The explosive case has stunned both law enforcement and social media, transforming what began as a fairytale windfall into a bitter manhunt that’s now spanning multiple states and possibly international borders.
James Porter, 42, told CNN he was still in shock after discovering that the woman he had been living with for nearly three years had “completely cleaned him out” just weeks after his life-changing win. “I trusted her with everything,” Porter said. “I was talking about marriage. We were planning a future. And then she disappeared — along with every single dollar I had.”
Porter won the multimillion-dollar prize through a scratch-off ticket purchased at a small convenience store in Oklahoma. At the time, he said he deliberately kept the win low-key, telling only a few close friends and his girlfriend, 34-year-old Melissa Greene. According to documents reviewed by NBC News, he deposited the lump sum into a joint account after Melissa “insisted it would be safer.”
“I trusted her with everything. And then she disappeared — with every single dollar.” — James Porter @NBCNews
Within two weeks, Porter alleges, Melissa drained nearly the entire account. She reportedly transferred the funds into cryptocurrency wallets and offshore accounts before disappearing with a man she had allegedly been secretly communicating with online for months. Detectives told AP News the case has quickly grown “very complex,” involving multiple jurisdictions and international financial tracking.
“This wasn’t a spontaneous grab,” one investigator said. “This looks calculated, planned, and coordinated. Whoever helped her knew exactly what they were doing.”
Authorities believe Melissa may have fled to the Caribbean, based on flight records and banking activity flagged in the days after she disappeared. An active warrant has now been issued for her arrest on charges of grand larceny and financial fraud. Federal agencies have reportedly been looped in to assist with the search, according to Reuters.
Porter says he realized something was wrong when Melissa stopped answering his calls one night. “I came home and half the house was empty,” he told Fox News. “She took clothes, suitcases, even the dog’s toys. Then I checked the bank and saw zero. I thought it was a glitch. It wasn’t.”
“I came home and half the house was empty. Then I checked the bank and saw zero.” — Porter @FoxNews
Investigators say Melissa and her alleged accomplice, identified as 39-year-old David Lang, may have planned the heist for months. According to records obtained by Daily Mail, the two exchanged hundreds of encrypted messages weeks before Porter’s lottery win, suggesting a coordinated scheme.
Friends told The New York Times that Porter was deeply in love and trusted Melissa implicitly. “She had access to everything — the passwords, the accounts, the house,” one friend said. “He never imagined she’d do something like this. None of us did.”
Police have since traced several cryptocurrency transfers tied to the missing funds. A law enforcement source confirmed to Bloomberg that at least $2.7 million has already been moved through wallets associated with anonymous exchanges, making recovery significantly more difficult.
“This is one of those cases where technology makes the money vanish almost instantly,” an investigator explained. “Once it’s in crypto, it’s a race against time.”
Authorities believe Melissa and her alleged accomplice may have fled to the Caribbean. @Reuters
The story has exploded across social media, with hashtags like #LotteryHeist and #MelissaGreene trending overnight. Thousands of users weighed in, many sympathizing with Porter while others pointed out the dangers of placing trust — and millions of dollars — in the wrong hands. “You don’t put $3.6 million in a joint account,” one user wrote on X. “That’s not love, that’s risk management.”
Some legal experts are calling the case a cautionary tale. “People often let emotion override financial sense in the aftermath of a windfall,” attorney Lisa Vickers told MSNBC. “This is unfortunately not the first time a romantic partner has taken advantage of someone after a big win — and it won’t be the last.”
Neighbors said the couple appeared happy in the weeks following the win, frequently seen hosting parties and showing off new cars. “They were acting like celebrities overnight,” one neighbor told Los Angeles Times. “She was talking about yachts, and he was talking about buying land. Then she was just… gone.”
#LotteryHeist is trending as investigators hunt the missing girlfriend who vanished with $3.6M. @AP
As for Porter, he says he’s cooperating fully with law enforcement but remains emotionally and financially devastated. “I didn’t just lose money,” he told CBS News. “I lost someone I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. It’s worse than the money.”
Investigators say recovering the funds may prove difficult, but not impossible. “We’ve worked cases like this before,” one agent said. “People who run think they can disappear, but digital footprints don’t lie.” They added that Melissa and David could face serious federal charges if apprehended.
Meanwhile, Porter has hired his own legal team and is preparing to pursue civil claims on top of the criminal case. “I just want my life back,” he said quietly. “She took everything. But I won’t stop until I find her.”