A late-night work break gave an industrial electrical wiring installer from Gaithersburg the perfect chance to connect with a Powerball prize in the Dec. 5 drawing. His lucky ticket, bought only minutes before sales ended for the night, gave him a $250,000 win.
The 40-year-old was working overnight in California, Md., when he took a break to accompany a co-worker to Jughead Liquor, a nearby Lottery retailer. While his companion selected a beverage, our winner decided to buy a quick-pick Powerball ticket.
The California store’s cashier asked if he was interested in paying an extra dollar to add the Power Play multiplier. The winner agreed and played a $3 single draw ticket. “When the ticket printed out, the cashier actually said, ‘Those are winning numbers right there’ and I guess he was right!”
The happy player was one of two in Maryland who matched four white balls and the Powerball for a $50,000 prize. The Power Play multiplier for the game was five, which boosted his prize to $250,000.
The player’s wife, who accompanied him to Maryland Lottery headquarters to claim the prize, said she believes this win was an act of fate! He bought the ticket on Dec. 5 with roughly eight minutes left to play before sales ended for the drawing, she said. (Sales end at 9:59 p.m.) Another coincidence, she said, is that the couple’s youngest son is 5 years old and was born May 8.
The pair are casual Lottery players, favoring Powerball and Mega Millions. They will probably keep playing their games at the same pace each week. The Montgomery County residents plan to use their newfound riches to buy new cars for their mothers and a new car for themselves. The rest of the prize will go toward a summer family vacation.
Players still have time to get a Powerball ticket for the Wednesday, Dec. 12 drawing. Consider visiting our winner’s lucky retailer, Jughead Liquor located at 16036 Three Notch Road in St. Mary’s County. The jackpot is $230 million for the drawing with a cash option of $135.9 million.