BARNSTABLE, Mass. - The luck keeps rolling for a convicted bank robber who won a $1 million lottery prize: Though he violated his probation by buying the ticket, a judge says he can keep the money.

A lawyer for Timothy Elliott, 55, called the violation minor, and the Massachusetts lottery commission previously has said there was no basis for withdrawing the prize.

Barnstable Superior Court Judge Richard Connon on Friday approved the probation department's agreement that he could keep the winnings. The only change is that Elliott now must pay a monthly $65 probation supervisory fee, previously waived because he had been indigent.

Elliott declined to comment Friday. He lives in Bourne under the supervision of the Department of Mental Health.

Probation department spokeswoman Coria Holland would not comment further on the case.

In October 2006, Elliott pleaded guilty to unarmed robbery for a heist at a bank on Cape Cod and was placed on five years' probation. The terms required him to not "gamble, purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is conducted ..."

The jackpot was won on $10 ticket for the "$800 Million Spectacular" game that Elliott bought at a supermarket in Hyannis. He already has received the first of 20 annual $50,000 checks from the lottery commission.

I am curious why probation for a bank robbery would prohibit buying lottery tickets. If someone wants to get rich quick, I would much rather him buy lottery tickets than rob banks.

Or was he robbing banks to finance his lottery habit?

Sure, he owns the money. He's rich.

But the million dollar question is whether he now serves time for violating his probation. Anybody know what happened on that front -- was a motion to revoke filed? Or is the $65 monthly fee as far as this goes?

The judge said that the violation was just a technical one and he allowed him to continue on with the probation, albeit the defendant now had to pay his monthly reporting fee of $65, which had been previously waived due to indigency. So at least the country is getting its money.