A woman said through tears Thursday that she lied about losing the winning ticket for a $162 million lottery prize awarded to another woman.
Elecia Battle, 40, of Cleveland, is dropping her lawsuit to block payment of the Mega Millions jackpot to the certified winner, said her lawyer Sheldon Starke.
''I wanted to win,'' Battle said. ''The numbers were so overwhelming. I did buy a ticket and I lost. I wanted to win so bad for my kids and my family. I apologize.''
Battle had filed a police report saying she lost the ticket, possibly when she dropped her purse outside a convenience store. The lottery declared Rebecca Jemison, 34, of suburban South Euclid, the winner on Tuesday.
Battle said she wanted to use the money to help her family and recently laid-off Cleveland police officers. She apologized to Jemison, her lawyer and her husband.
''I'm not a bad person, I'm really not,'' she said. ''Everyone has a past."
Authorities are investigating whether Battle lied in the police report - a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days to six months in jail.
Jemison, of suburban South Euclid, qualified for a lump-sum payment of $67.2 million, after taxes.