Powerball Winner’s Belongings To Be Auctioned

Spoils for sale: Lottery winner’s belongings go on the block
Can you believe this story appears on Friday the 13th? In November 2005, he was charged with possession of cocaine and heroin. Edwards pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics paraphernalia, a first-degree misdemeanor, and the cocaine charge was dropped.

A court hearing is scheduled July 24 to determine the status of the heroin charge, according to the state attorney’s office.

Last July, Edwards’ $1.2 million home was auctioned for $400,000.

And Saturday, much of the home’s contents will go on the auction block at a Riviera Beach warehouse where Edwards spent his final days in Palm Beach County.

Friday, July 13, 2007

In September 2001, a very lucky ex-con named David Lee Edwards arrived in Palm Beach County with $27 million and a history of drug abuse.

The money was his take, after taxes, from the multistate Powerball lottery. Edwards was 46 and had been laid off shortly before buying his ticket – one of four winners of an advertised $295 million jackpot – at Clark’s Pump N Shop in Ashland, Ky., a blue-collar town on the Ohio River.

Edwards had been in and out of prison beginning in the early 1980s – on charges ranging from armed robbery to violating parole to drug possession – and was finally out for good in 1997.

With his sudden wealth, Edwards bought a $1.2 million home in Palm Beach Gardens’ BallenIsles community, a $240,000 Bentley and a $250,000 Lamborghini. In December 2001, he married his fiancée, Shawna Renae Maddux, in Hawaii and bought her a $250,000 electric-blue Ferrari.

And then Edwards’ troubled past apparently began to catch up with his would-be wealthy future.

In November 2005, he was charged with possession of cocaine and heroin. Edwards pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics paraphernalia, a first-degree misdemeanor, and the cocaine charge was dropped.

A court hearing is scheduled July 24 to determine the status of the heroin charge, according to the state attorney’s office.

Last July, Edwards’ $1.2 million home was auctioned for $400,000.

And Saturday, much of the home’s contents will go on the auction block at a Riviera Beach warehouse where Edwards spent his final days in Palm Beach County.

“It’s a no-reserve auction,” said Doug Holladay, the Jupiter auctioneer who will open the bidding at 11 a.m. “If the highest bid is a dollar, it sells for a dollar. Everything goes on Saturday.”

‘Supposedly’ superb items

As he spoke, Holladay moved among Edwards’ 120 “luxury furnishings and outdoor architectural pieces” with a bottle of lemon Pine-Sol and a polishing cloth, clearly amused by Edwards’ taste.

In describing the furnishings, Holladay said it might be wise to use the word supposedly a lot.

“That’s supposedly a King Louis tortoise-inlay dresser,” he said. “He supposedly paid $140,000.”

Not far away, a 10-foot hand-carved white marble fireplace mantel lay on the concrete floor. Huge wrought-iron gates, supposedly by Versace, leaned against one wall. Sphinxes with pedestals awaited a doorway, giant granite urns a garden.

There are figured urns that are real bronze, Holladay said, no supposedly about it. But the medieval shields, battle-ax and armor gauntlets are not, in fact, medieval.

Not far from the fake Tiffany lamps, a framed poster of Frank, Dean, Sammy and the rest of the Rat Pack posing in Las Vegas also will be up for bid.

“Gaudy,” Holladay said, and he wasn’t referring to the Rat Pack portrait alone.

On the other hand, the large partner desk is in almost perfect condition, and the marble-topped rosewood buffet is neither fake nor gaudy.

The entire collection probably cost about $500,000, Holladay said, and will bring in $70,000 to $100,000.

“I got a couple of 93-year-old women coming,” he said with a chuckle. “I couldn’t get off the phone with them.”

Edwards’ warehouse life

If the women do attend, they’ll find an industrial warehouse that has undergone a good deal more cleaning than a mere bottle of Pine-Sol could provide.

“We found filthy clothes 3 feet high throughout the unit,” said John Lutzon, vice president of leasing for the warehouse complex. “There were needles, so somebody in there was apparently using drugs. Whether they were legal or illegal I don’t know, but people said his condition was horrible.”

Edwards rented the unit several years ago, Lutzon said, but was chronically late with the rent. The company would start eviction proceedings, then Edwards would pay up.

“We would change the locks and give him back new keys, and a month later he’d default again,” Lutzon said.

Finally, the owners claimed the contents, which are being auctioned to pay his debt.

“The word I got from surrounding tenants is that they would see him there day and night,” Lutzon said, “so one could assume the guy had been sleeping there.”

One of those tenants is Dana Martin, owner of Restoration by Nefco, a classic car restoration firm.

“I knew he was living here because I’d come in early in the morning and they’d be outside,” Martin said. “It went on for months like that.”

When they first met, Martin said, Edwards was storing the Ferrari and Lamborghini in the unit while trying to sell them.

“He was liquidating his assets,” Martin said. “I think he trusted a lot of people and was talked into some business investments that were not good investments, and when he lost his home he moved here.”

Edwards and his wife had been sleeping in a small office.

“The last time I saw him, they were on the way back to Kentucky,” Martin said. “He was in pretty bad health. We had to pick him up and put him in the back seat of the car to the airport.”

The dirty clothes and discarded needles filled a 30-foot garbage bin, Holladay said. Supposedly.

“I threw out two needles this morning,” he said. “His wedding album’s back in the office if you want to see it.”

Sitting alone on a table in the otherwise empty room where Edwards slept, the album is only slightly moldy and filled with professional photographs of David and Shawna Edwards smiling on a Hawaiian beach at sunset.

Inside, along with the pictures, are two faded receipts from a local pawnshop.

On Oct. 2, Edwards was given $40 each for an air compressor and a miter saw. The next day, he went back and was given $30 each for two swords.

One was copper, one brass.

More Pictures at Palm Beach Post Page

And the coverage of the auction 

 

ABSOLUTE AUCTION

Personal property of Lottery winner David Edwards
Sat. July 14th, 2007 11 am
Location: 6557 Garden Rd., Rivera Beach, Florida

This catalog is prepared as a courtesy only. A general description is provided with an estimate of value. Bidders are responsible to
thoroughly inspect before bidding and to satisfy themselves of such matters as description, estimate or condition.
All items will be sold AS-IS WHERE- IS with no reserves. Items will be auctioned in random order. Auction Company:
Doug Holladay Auctions, Inc. Jupiter, Fl (561) 351-1765

Click on photo to enlarge:

Lot #	Photo	Description	Estimate
1		4 piece decorator medieval pieces	$125.
2		large lot of misc. items	$100.
3		Dell computer 4 speakers & cables	$50.
4		Norwalk sofa, beige color, 97″	$350.
5		L.T. Designs Sofa, Linen covered, 98″ (no seat cushions)	$100.
6		Linen covered sofa, 95″	$350.
7		Pair of Piala gilded arm chairs est. $750. each	$1,500.
8		Large round ottoman 36″ dia. x 18″ high	$200.
9		Set of 3 Fleur De Lis carved arm chairs. est. $250. /each	$750.
10		Nicely carved, silk cover arm chair	$400
11		6 piece patio set, round glass top table, metal frame, 3 chairs, 1 lounge, 1 love seat.	$400.
12		Very large mahogany carved arm chair w/ 4 cherubs	$600.
13		Wooden round table base 29″ x 31″ dia.	$300.
14		Glass to, metal base coffee table, 54″ x 30″ x 18″	$200.
15		4 arm gold leaf table base, 36″ x 31′	$300.
16		Lion head leg table gold leaf w/ round marble top 27″ x 32″	$1,500.
17		2 seat sofa cloth covered 69″	$500.
18		Set: 1 coffee table, 1 end table. Wood laminate, metal base.	$400.
19		Pair square table, iron, 24″ x 24″ x 22″ $150./ each	$300.
20		Higay pedestal table (plant stand) 44″ high marble top	$300.
21		Small mahogany 2 drawer desk, 38″ x 18″ x 28″	$300.
22		Miter saw stand	$75.
23		Long marble top table , metal base, 61″ x 25″ x 27″	$800.
24		2 leg side table, black stone top,65″ x 21″ x 35″	$500.
25		Pair metal display bases w/ garnish. $100. / each	$200.
26		Demi Lune console 6 drawers w/ black marble & metal ormolu, 65″ x 20″ x 38″	$1,400.
27		Sun burst mirror, gold leaf, 5′	$300.
28		Granite modern sculptor (damaged), 37″ high	$200.
29		Medieval style lance 8′	$60.
30		Pair large Chinese vases, pink & lotus design 6′	$900.
31		Pair large tropical parrot vases, 6′	$1,200.
32		Tiffany style lamp 1 of 2	$250.
33		Tiffany style lamp 2of 2	$250.
33		Carved mahogany chest w/ 6 drawers, 2 middle drawers. Tri fold mirror top	$900.
34		White wood frame, carved, 51″ x 39″	$300.
35		Eagle legged, gold gilded table	$1,800.
36		Wood carved sculpture # 1	$500.
37		Wood carved sculpture # 2	$500.
38		Wood carved sculpture # 3	$500.
39		Set of seven masks, wood carved	$400.
40		Breakfront, open, mahogany carved, four doors, 77″ x 90	$1,400.
41		Three paneled room divider, material, deco design, 7′ high	$600.
42		Bombay chest with black stone, 35″ high	$800.
43		Bronze sculpture, boy and girl on rail	$4,600.
544		Mahogany side table and top framed mirror, 50″ x 97″	$1,000.
45		Bombay chests, turtle style design with ivory style top design. 1 of 2	$1,700..
46		Bombay chests, turtle style design with ivory style top design. 2 of 2	$1,700.
47		Large mirror, carved frame, 8’4″ x 7’6″	$1,200.
48		Large mirror, carved frame, 8′ x 6′	$1,000.
49		Three pedestal conference table, 12′	$1,200.
50		Two piece mahogany dresser and top bar. Two drawers bottom. ormolu – hand painted.	$1,400.
51		Four pink marble elephant seats	$1,600.
52		Pink marble elephant table and base	$2,000.
52		Bombay chest, two drawer, green marble top	$600.
54		Pair of stone (green marble) carved vase, 43″x27″, $1,500 each	$3,000.
56		Pair of carved green marble pedestal table, 34″ high. $800 each	$1,600.
57		Pair of large Medusa urns, 55″ high, $700. each.	$1,400.
58		Pair of carved stone sphinx	$6,000.
59		4 piece cherub, carved white marble fireplace mantel	$19,000.
60		Eight arm chandelier	$500.
61		Pair of bronze urns, 53″ x 28″, $3,750. each	$7,500.
62		Small white marble pedestal, 15″ high	$250.
63		Square white marble pedestal, 31″ high	$500.
64		“Floral” Large oil painting, signed, 88″x64″	$1,500.
65		“Stairway” Large oil painting, signed, 85″x64″	$1,500.
66		“Rome” Large oil painting, signed, 88″x64″	$1,500.
67		Metal porch entry lamp	$400.
68		Carved white marble round table base / urn, ram and Medusa base, 37″ high	$2,800.
69		Metal wall hanging, Roman theme	$900.
70		Desk with leather-like top, 3 drawer, 56″ x 30″	$1,200.
71		Oval gilded mirror, 68″ high	$1,400.
72		French desk, ormolu and leather-like top, 70″ x 38″	$1,800.
73		Large desk, leather-like top, ormulu,5 drawer, 76″ x 39″	$2,000.
74		Bombay style, glass front showcase, 5’8″	$3,200.
75		Three paneled mahogany showcase cabinet, 6′ high	$7,400.
76		Empire console and mirror top frame, green marble top	$2,800.
77		Four paneled room divider, hand painted bird of paradise, 6′	$1,200.
78		Spanish console, ornate design, flower marble top, 21″ x 55″	$5,500.
79		Life size Santa Clause	$350.
80		Four side glass showcase, flower design, 60″ x 76″	$1,600.
81		Wood carved, bureau plat desk, leather-like top, 73″ x 39″	$2,500.
82		Armoire with mirror doors, 7’4″ high	$1,400.
83		Oval wood table with inlay flower design, 59″ x 45″	$900.
84		Pair of wrought iron vases, 47″ x 46″, $1,000. each	$2,000.
85		Pair Versaci style, Medusa face, large square metal pedestals, 41.5″, $2000. each	$4,000.
86		Two piece carved Demi lune table, white marble, 75″ x 52″	$1,500.
87		Round wool rug	$200
88		Mahogany partner desk, leather-like top,73″ x 41″	$1,400.
89		Framed poster of “Rat Pack”	$150.
90		Wood carved frame (damaged), 6′	$200.
91		Wood book case	$150.
92		Dell computer audio system, 3 pieces	$150.
93		Bronze cupid chair 1 of 2	$1,500.
94		Bronze cupid chair 2 of 2	$1,500.
95		Two side wood bed rails	$200.
96		Red stone vessel with metal frame	$150.
97		Venetian glass, four pieces	$400.
98		Flower pot hanging stand, metal, 5′	$150.
99		Wrought iron two piece driveway gate, 13′ 1″ x 8′ 2″ high. Versaci style	$8,500.
100		Three piece wrought iron walkway entrance, 10′ 7″ x 11′ 9″ high. Versaci style	$10,000.
101		Large rug (est. 1950’s)	$800.
102		Cranberry vase	$50
103		Electroplate machine	$400.
104		Chinese bowl	$25.