State sues, shuts down illegal online lottery

FESTUS, Mo. -- A judge has ordered a halt to a Web site named after a popular MTV show about vehicle makeovers, given claims by Missouri's top law enforcer that the site is an illegal lottery.

The preliminary injunction issued Tuesday by a judge in Jefferson County, south of St. Louis, came at the behest of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, who filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Nathan Leiweke and his Web site, www.pimpmyride.com

The site is unrelated to MTV's weekly "Pimp My Ride" series, which taps young, automotively challenged Southern Californians and transforms their jalopies into triumphs.

On Leiweke's Web site, people were invited to enter a contest for a $2 fee, with the randomly drawn winner supposedly getting $20,000 to customize -- or "pimp out" -- their vehicle.

Some of the Web site's visitors allegedly entered as many as 100 times. About 4,400 consumers allegedly bought more than 12,000 chances -- none of them legal under Missouri law, which restricts games of chance to those allowed by the state constitution or statutes.

"You can't just start selling chances for a lottery for your own personal gain," Nixon said.

The lawsuit alleges that Leiweke's Web site said that only half of the entry fees would be used for prize money, with the other half used for "fees associated with maintenance and upkeep of the Web site and contest."

Leiweke's attorney, Randall Sherman, said his client -- a college student in his 20s from this St. Louis suburb -- "just thought it was something fun to do. And he could make some money off of it, too."

Sherman said Leiweke was unaware the Web site was illegal, has been cooperating with the state investigation and voluntarily has shut down the site.

The state wants a judge to order that Leiweke pay restitution to consumers and penalties to the state.