A chance encounter at a local convenience store led to a $200,000 discovery by an Oxon Hill man. The retired father-of-four purchased his Powerball tickets on May 13 and put them into his Bible for safekeeping.
A little over a week later, he was at the store when he happened to overhear someone saying that a second-tier winning ticket was bought in Oxon Hill and the winner had yet to claim their prize. That was when the man looked up at the Lottery screen, recognized his numbers and rushed home to search for his ticket.
“I keep all of my Lottery tickets in my Bible” the man explained. “When I found the ticket, I couldn’t believe it. My whole body felt numb and I started to pinch myself. I didn’t tell anyone, only my children.”
A big fan of Lottery play, the 54-year-old is particularly fond of Mega Millions and Powerball. “I use birthdays when I play, with some random numbers mixed in,” he said.
Although the winner does not have any immediate plans for his prize money, he wants to go on a relaxing vacation soon. “I can go anywhere I want to now,” he declared with a smile.
The winning Powerball ticket was purchased at the Esquire Liquor Store, located at 6108 Oxon Hill Rd. in Oxon Hill.