$222.6 million Powerball jackpot won with single ticket in New Jersey
A New Jersey school bus driver and avid lottery player nabbed the $222.6 million Powerball jackpot after purchasing a ticket at a convenience store in New Jersey, a store employee and lotto officials said.
The jackpot winner was announced Monday evening, and later revealed to be a regular customer at Preet Food Mart in Lindenwold.
“I’m happy for this person, and I’m also happy for myself, too!” co-owner Tejinder Singh, whose store will receive a $30,000 bonus check for selling the winning numbers, said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Harish Patel, the store clerk who sold the winning ticket, said the lucky winner is a “nice man” and bus driver who comes in every day to spend almost $60 on lottery tickets.
The player, who has not publicly come forward, chose the cash lump sum option when they purchased the ticket, so they will receive a one-time payment of $104.7 million, lottery officials said.
He will take home about $71 million after federal and state taxes are deducted, the lottery officials explained.
The jackpot victor has one year from Monday to claim the windfall, Jersey Lottery Executive Director James A. Carey said.
If the prize goes unclaimed, the money will revert back to the state.
“Talk to a lawyer, talk to a financial advisor, talk to a tax accountant,” Carey advised the winner.
Under New Jersey state law, lottery winners can remain anonymous.
If the winner wants to come forward publicly, they will get the classic photo-op receiving a giant yellow check for the stunning amount, Carey noted.
Monday’s jackpot is the second multi-state lottery win in New Jersey this year, NJ.com noted: On March 26, a ShopRite customer in Neptune Township bought the winning ticket for the $1.13 billion Mega Millions drawing.
That prize was the largest ever won in New Jersey, with the Powerball win clinching second place.
The odds of winning that Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to the officials.
