The $2 million Powerball winner from the Jan. 20 drawing made three trips to claim his prize because of weather-related issues. |
‘Third Time’s the Charm’ wins with ticket from historic Jan. 20 drawing
His $2 million Powerball payoff is delayed no more! Old Man Winter’s storms played havoc twice with a winner’s scheduled trips to Maryland Lottery headquarters to claim his big prize from the historic Jan. 20 drawing. His trip on Friday, however, was smooth sailing.
In fact, the 54-year-old Pittsburgh resident is calling himself “Third Time’s the Charm” for Lottery publicity purposes! He claimed his prize from the drawing that produced a $731.1 million jackpot-winning ticket sold by Coney Market in Lonaconing. His $2 million prize-winning ticket with Power Play was sold by AC&T #130 in Hagerstown.
The jackpot, which no one has claimed yet, is the 4th-largest in Powerball jackpot history and the 6th-largest in U.S. lottery history. It is by far the largest Powerball jackpot won in Maryland Lottery history.
“Third Time’s the Charm” let the terminal Quick Pick his five rows of Powerball numbers and the multiplier for the game’s Power Play feature. That night, the value of his $15 Powerball ticket went to $2 million when one string of random digits matched five of the drawn numbers, only missing the final Powerball number.
“We were just three digits away from the jackpot. Yes, I’ve thought about it. What are the odds?” said the happy Pennsylvania man. “I’m sure I could figure out how to live with $731 million, but $2 million is good, too.”
The area transportation worker said he discovered his lucky win after his girlfriend’s comments. She noted that both the Powerball jackpot win and $2 million prize occurred in areas he might have passed through on business. “Three Time’s the Charm” fished the Powerball ticket out of his pocket so he could check it for a win during his next stop at a Maryland Lottery retailer.
He scanned the ticket at the retailer’s counter ticket scanner. The equipment immediately flashed back a “Congratulations” message and the $2 million prize amount. The surprised player stepped back, paused, and then scanned the ticket again.
“The clerk must have noticed I was acting strange because she asked me if everything was all right,” he said. “That’s when I told her that I was trying to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing.” He scanned the ticket yet again and the clerk leaned over his shoulder so she could watch the screen, too. “I turned to her after I scanned the ticket and, when her eyes went wide, I got a little lightheaded.”
Winter weather cancellations foiled the winner’s two initial attempts to claim his prize. His rescheduled visit on Friday was a success, giving “Third Time’s the Charm” a sense of closure and an end to sleepless nights. He no longer needs to worry about the safety of the valuable ticket. “I’m looking forward to a nap and paying off some bills.”
“Third Time’s the Charm” told Lottery officials that he plans to save most of his prize. He and his girlfriend are building a future together, he said, and the windfall is just the thing to make their dreams a reality.
The happy player’s retailer, AC&T #130, is a gas and convenience store located at 11564 Hopewell Road in Hagerstown. For selling the lucky ticket, the retailer earned a $5,000 bonus from the Lottery.
