Massachusetts cleaning lady collects $117.6 million from advertised
$290 million Mega Millions jackpot, click here to read story.

A mystery winner claims lottery millions
(Mega Millions)

Saturday, September 04, 2004

The owner of a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket claimed a multimillion-dollar prize Friday, ending two weeks of uncertainty.

The identity of the winner, however, remains a mystery.

Lottery officials announced Aug. 20 that the winning ticket for a $52 million jackpot was sold at a Shaker Heights store. Lawyer Dennis Siciliano claimed the treasure as trustee for the ABC Blind Trust. But Siciliano's client the real winner has not been identified. Siciliano could not be reached for comment.

Mardele Cohen, spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery Commission, said in a written statement that the trust would receive a lump-sum payment of a little over $30.5 million, before taxes. The after-tax payout will amount to about $21.8 million. (There was $30,492,924 allocated from sales for the 6 of 6 jackpot prize winner.)

Shaker Quality Foods receives a $52,000 bonus for selling the winning Mega Millions ticket.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions are 1 in 135 million, Cohen said.

Eden Prairie couple steps forward to claim Powerball jackpot

Charleston Gazette
By JOSHUA FREED
Associated Press Writer

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP) -- An Eden Prairie couple stepped forward Monday to claim a Powerball jackpot worth up to $98.7 million.

David Wenell bought the only winning ticket at a Cub Foods store in Eden Prairie, then left it on his dresser before he and his wife, Mary Beth, headed up north to the lake for the weekend. They didn't learn they were winners until they came home.

"I guess I'm a dreamer. I usually fail at this -- every week, actually,'' he said.

They decided against taking the $98.7 million annuity option, which would have paid $3.2 million a year for 30 years, and chose the lump-sum cash option of $53.1 million, which will get them $35.9 million after withholding.

Wenell said he has spent an average of $1 every week over the last 10 years on lottery games.

"It's not a bad investment,'' he said. "It's fun. Everybody needs to dream.''

The Wenells -- he's 52, she's 47 -- said they both plan to retire right away. David did clinical research for medical device companies, while Mary Beth was an executive assistant. She went to work Monday morning but left at noon.

"I wasn't too good at concentrating this morning,'' she said.

The Wenells have two daughters, one a teenager and one adult.

This was the second time in a row that a Powerball jackpot has gone to a Minnesota winner. A Stillwater couple won a jackpot July 7 that would have been worth $21.1 million under the annuity option but took the $11.1 million cash option.

The Wenells are Minnesota's 18th Powerball winners, the lottery said. The state also had six jackpot winners with its predecessor, Lotto America. The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 120 million.

Powerball tickets are sold in 28 other states, including West Virginia, and in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Pullman, Michigan Man Claims
$47 Million Mega Millions Prize

LANSING (August 6, 2004) – Larry Campbell is several million dollars richer today than he was yesterday.

Campbell, 63, of Pullman, picked up his check for $19,128,233 as the sole winner of the July 23 Mega Millions $47 million jackpot. Campbell elected to take his winnings in a lump sum payment. There was $26,937,001 in the jackpot prize pool for the winner.

“Congratulations to Mr. Campbell and his family! We wish him much success in his new-found wealth,” said Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters.

The winning ticket was sold at Al’s Total, 5624 109th Ave., Pullman, on the evening of the drawing. The winning numbers were 5, 12, 25, 35, 37 and 12. Campbell, who has been playing the Michigan Lottery since it was first established, chooses his own numbers. The winning Gold Mega Ball number, 12, is his daughter’s birthdate.

He and his wife plan to purchase a new home with their winnings and do some serious relaxing. Campbell is retired from the Dr. Pepper-7-up Bottling Division in Holland.

$9 Million Lotto Winner Calls Mom From
Lottery HQ -Tells Her He Won Big Money

July 22, 2004 - With Texas Lottery staff hooting and hollering in the background, MacArther "Mac" Petty of Dallas called his mother from Lottery headquarters in Austin today and gave her the news every mother wants to hear; her son won the Lottery.

"I called her to surprise her with the news that I was getting a check for more than $5 million today," Petty said. "We hung up, but she called me right back; she wasn't sure what I'd said."
Petty is the winner of the July 7 Lotto Texas drawing that advertised a jackpot of $9 million. The winner purchased his ticket with the Cash Value Option that gives him the net present value of the jackpot, which is $5,780,028, before taxes.

"What a great way to surprise someone, especially your mother," said Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Reagan E. Greer. "I had the privilege of talking with her on the phone during the check presentation, and she was having a hard time catching her breath. She asked me, 'Is he telling me the truth?' and what can you say but 'yes, of course, he really won.' This is certainly a first for us; we've never had a winner call anyone during the check presentation to say that they've won. It was great fun for everybody."

Petty told Lottery officials that he's got definite plans for his prize.
"I want to buy my mother a house," he said. "I also have three sisters and I want to help them, too."

As far as he's concerned, there's one thing he plans to purchase for himself pretty quickly.
"I'm getting an SUV," he said. "I'm not sure yet what kind, though. Later, I'm going to buy a house."

Petty bought 30 Quick Pick tickets. "I usually buy five and no more, but this time something told me to buy 30 tickets," he said.

The new winner found out his ticket had won when he read the numbers in The Dallas Morning News.

"It hasn't exactly hit me, yet," Petty said. "Sometimes, I get really excited about it, but mostly it fades in and out."

He may get a little more excited when he sees the seven-figure balance in his bank account. The Texas Lottery makes a direct deposit of the winner's prize into his or her bank account, where it will appear in two or three business days.

The winning ticket was purchased at Jack's Grocery, 1601 Market Center Boulevard in Dallas. The retailer is eligible to receive a bonus of $90,000, one percent of the advertised $9 million jackpot.

The winning numbers were 16-24-36-37-39 Bonus 24.

Winner Of $145 Million Lotto
El Paso man claims $145 million lotto prize

By POLLY ROSS HUGHES
Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
July 7, 2004, 4:31PM

AUSTIN -- A publicity-shy El Paso man today turned in the winning ticket for
last month's $145 million lottery jackpot on behalf of a partnership.

The Texas Lottery Commission said that Alfredo Ornelas Barragan accepted an
after-tax cash payment of $61.9 million on behalf of VOM Enterprises Ltd. and
IBO Management Co.

Ornelas arrived with his attorney, Ernesto Pineda, around 10 a.m. and spent most
of the day verifying the ticket. Neither man would speak with reporters.

"He's very quiet but eager to have the prize claimed," said Leticia Vasquez, an
official with the lottery commission.

Vasquez said Barragan is president of IBO Management, which manages VOM
Enterprises.

Previous lottery winners have formed partnerships in an attempt to keep their
identities secret. The lottery commission releases the winner's name and
hometown but doesn't require winners to speak publicly.

Secretary of State records show that Barragan registered the partnership 10 days
after the Lotto drawing.

"We are very happy and thankful for this gift that God has given us," said
Ornelas Barragan in a statement released by the lottery commission. "We are very
nervous, but with God's help we will be able to make good use of this prize.
Thank you very much and God bless those people that have helped through this
process."

The winning Lotto Texas ticket was purchased June 19 at a downtown El Paso
Chevron station. The station will receive a $500,000 payment.

Vasquez said the winning partnership requested minimum publicity, and no
personal information was available about Ornelas Barragan.

The cash-option payout for the $145 million prize was $82.5 million. That was
subject to a 25-percent tax bite, leaving $61.9 million.

Editors Note
Please note that the TLC press release does not say that the
winner was a life long or 20 year or 10 year resident of El Paso.
Also, the TLC refers to the winner as the "El Paso winner" but
they could be referring to the "companies" rather than the
"person." Unattributed information coming from a Dallas stringer
for a Mexican wire service said Ornelas was a common name in
Juarez and that the winner spoke only Spanish. That does not mean
the winner was from Juarez, but forming a company in El Paso
before claiming the prize would save him (them) a lot of money
and also protect their winnings from the rise and fall of the peso.
A winners request for NO media attention is OK, but giving
the People of Texas the assurance that the winner IS a Texan
would have been nice. I think we'll learn more about this winner
in coming days or weeks.

Company Claims Prize Of $82.5 Million ...
Takes Home $61.9 Million from $145 Million Pot

(Austin, July 7, 2004) - VOM Enterprises, Ltd., IBO Management Company, L. L. C., G. P., Alfredo Ornelas Barragan, president, of El Paso today received a prize totaling $82,569,717, the cash value option amount for the record $145 million Lotto Texas jackpot of the June 19, 2004 drawing.

"We are very happy and thankful for this gift that God has given us," said Ornelas Barragan. "We are very nervous, but with God's help we will be able to make good use of this prize. Thank you very much and God bless those people that have helped through this process."

The Downtown Chevron, 715 North Stanton in El Paso, sold the Quick Pick ticket. The retailer is eligible to receive a bonus of one percent of the advertised jackpot capped at $500,000.

A 25 percent tax of $20, 642,429.25 was excised from the Cash Value Option prize. The final amount was $61,927, 287.75.

The partnership requested minimum publicity.

The numbers drawn were 29-26-9-28-40 Bonus 16.

Queens Fisherman is Sole Jackpot-Winning Ticket
Holder for $67 Million Mega Millions Drawing

Schenectady – Forty-eight-year-old, self-employed commercial fisherman Peter Penello calls himself, “the last of a dying breed.” Like one-time long shot Smarty Jones, Penello fancies himself an “unlikely” winner, but all that changed when Penello found himself holding the sole jackpot-winning ticket from New York’s Mega Millions drawing held on May 7, 2004 – a ticket that’s worth $67 million.

“I never thought I’d actually win,” said the reserved Penello who makes his livelihood casting fishing nets in the waters off of Freeport, NY. “I started playing the Mega Millions game with my brothers and sisters when it first came out, just for the fun of it. We all got a kick out of thinking about what we would do if we won. Now I’ve won and I’m still not sure what to do!”

The only immediate plan Penello has for his new-found fortune is to split it evenly among himself and his four siblings, Louis, (46); Frankie, (44); Laura, (41); and Marie (38). “We always played together, so it just makes sense that we would win together, too,” he said. The Penello family will split a lump sum payout totaling $37,325,901 before taxes. (FYI - There was $37,506,898 in the prize pool. Because the MM group pays the amount "advertised" and does NOT guarantee the amount in the prize pool, the states earned an extra $180,997 on this roll.)

Penello was presented with his check during a ceremony in the Winner’s Circle at Belmont Park on Thursday afternoon following the fourth race, aptly named “The New York Mega Millions.”

New York Lottery Director Nancy A. Palumbo said she could appreciate the similarities between Penello’s good luck story and the world’s fascination with Smarty Jones’ quest for the Triple Crown. “Smarty Jones has come to be known as the ‘people’s champion’ because of his ability to beat tremendous odds and emerge a winner,” Director Palumbo said. “Peter Penello and his family may very well be the players’ champions because they also saw a chance to dream bigger and come out winners.”

The odds for winning the Mega Millions jackpot based on a $1 wager are 1 in 135 million.

The winning numbers for New York’s Mega Million drawing held on May 7, 2004
were: 14-17-19-44-50 Bonus 17.

Penello purchased his winning ticket at Lawson Convenience located at 3111 B Lawson Boulevard in Oceanside, NY.

Wheaton couple identified as lottery winners
$109 million jackpot second largest ever in Md.; Odds were 135 million-to-1

By Jacqueline Seaberg
Baltimoresun.com Staff
Originally published April 20, 2004

(April 20, 2004) Maryland State Lottery officials today announced the winners of the $109 million, multistate Mega Millions lottery jackpot, the second-largest award ever in Maryland.

Wheaton residents Miguel and Maria Bonilla, who won the April 9 drawing, have elected to receive the winnings as a lump sum of $62,163,496.64. After state and federal taxes, the Bonillas will get nearly $42 million. (Inserted by LottoReport.com: There was $63,249,585 in the prize pool. Total draw sales were $199,588,467 and 31.69% is allocated to the jackpot prize.)

Miguel Bonilla, a construction worker, purchased the lottery ticket at the Kensington Market at 10251 Kensington Parkway, where he stops nearly every day to buy coffee and a sandwich. The store will receive a $25,000 commission for selling the ticket.

The Bonillas' winning numbers, chosen as a "quick pick," were 2, 8, 10, 11, 23 and Mega Ball 40. They beat 135 million-to-1 odds to win.

"I kept forgetting to look at my tickets, even after someone from work told me that the winning ticket was purchased at Kensington Market, where I bought mine," Miguel Bonilla said in a statement. "I didn't really believe that I had won until we came to the lottery, and it is still very surprising and breathtaking."

Said Buddy Roogow, director of the Maryland State Lottery: "The best part of my job is presenting awards to our winners. It is extremely gratifying when it is such a large jackpot, and I have the pleasure of giving it to people as nice as the Bonillas."

Miguel Bonilla has worked at Miller-Long Concrete Construction for the past 18 years, lottery officials said. He met his wife Maria, currently employed by the Montgomery County public school system, on a bus while commuting to Washington, D.C.

The Bonillas, originally from El Salvador, moved to the United States nearly 20 years ago, according to lottery officials. They said they plan to use the money for their children's education and to visit relatives in Australia.

This was the second time in less than a year that a Maryland resident has won the Mega Millions jackpot. Bernadette Gietka of Baldwin won a $183 million jackpot in June 2003, the largest ever won in Maryland.

Eleven states participate in the Mega Millions jackpot, including Maryland, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

$230 Million - WOW - That's A Lot of Dough
Winner Claims $239 Million on 4/1/04 ... click here to read story.

GM Co-Workers Collect $12 Million

3/11/04 - The nine co-workers and friends are calling themselves the Luckiest GM 9 Partnership. And what a partnership it is - some working together for more than 20 years, playing Lotto Texas unfailingly for the last five months, and now they will be linked for ever as Texas Lottery winners.

Members of the Luckiest GM 9 Partnership went to Austin March 11 to claim their jackpot prize. "We've read so much about the group and have been waiting patiently to meet them ourselves," said Reagan E. Greer, Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission. "They're finally here, and I'm happy to present a check for more than $8 million to these nice folks. I want to extend the warmest congratulations and best wishes to the 'luckiest' group of people from Arlington that I've met so far, as Executive Director."

Those members of the partnership that participated in the news conference were Victor and Vera Randers, Debra Hicks, Roger Woodard, Shirley Hill, David Harvey, and three others, won the February 25, 2004, Lotto Texas drawing, worth $12 million.

Their ticket was purchased with the Cash Value Option payment, which netted them a grand total of $8,003,745, before taxes. The ticket was purchased at Super Save Store, located at 2500 E. Abram in Arlington. The retail owner is eligible to receive a bonus of $120,000 for selling the jackpot winning ticket.

"We each put in four dollars every Monday for the Wednesday and Saturday drawing," said Victor Randers, spokesman for the Luckiest GM 9 Partnership. "We have a sign-up sheet and I give a copy of the tickets I purchase to each person on the sheet the next morning."

The group got to make their drive to Texas Lottery Headquarters in style - the GM Arlington plant provided an Escalade and Suburban to two of the group members. An additional Escalade was provided by Frank Kent Cadillac, two Tahoes were supplied by Lynn Smith Chevrolet and a Yukon was offered by Freeman GMC to other group members.

The winning numbers were 43-26-30-24-21 Bonus 09.

Ohio man claims $20 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot

Ohio may have had a long wait to produce its first Mega Millions jackpot winner, but Eric Maxwell, 45, of Dayton is grateful that Ohio didn’t waste too much time producing its second. Maxwell claimed the $21 million dollar jackpot at the Ohio Lottery’s Dayton Regional office.

Maxwell, an employee at Metalurgical Services of Dayton, purchased his self picked ticket at Food City Supermarket in Dayton, after his usual Lottery retailer was closed. Food City receives a $20,000 selling bonus for selling a jackpot winning ticket.

“I wanted high numbers so I began with 25 and just started counting by 5,” Maxwell explained. “My fiancée’s birthday is on the 4th, so I went with that for the Mega Ball.”

Eric’s fiancée, Thomasina Scott is a principal at Miami Chapel Louise Troy Elementary School.

Maxwell, who as of now plans on going back to work, was talking on the phone when he realized he was the big winner.

“My friend had called to tease me about never winning, because he knew I always played,” Maxwell laughed, “so he told me to grab my ticket and check the numbers. When I realized they all matched I just stared at the ticket and thanked The Lord,” said Maxwell who has five brothers and three sisters.

The shock has not subsided for Mr. Maxwell who says the magnitude of winning still hasn’t set in.

“I think first I will buy a car, and then maybe my fiancée and I will go on a cruise,” Maxwell said.

After mandatory state and federal taxes, Maxwell will receive a lump sum payment of approximately $8,918,073. (There was $12,780,041 in the jackpot prize pool. According to the offical game rule, 31.69% of total sales is allocated to the jackpot prize. Total sales in the roll were $40,328,310.)

Ohio has been a part of the Mega Millions multi-state drawings since May 2002. The state produced its first winner December 30, 2003.

The Ohio Lottery has now been home to two of the last three Mega Millions jackpot winners

The winning numbers for the March 2 Mega Millions jackpot were 25-30-35-40-50 Bonus 04

Yes Virginia, There is a Jackpot Winner!
One Ticket Takes The Entire ESTIMATED
$230 Million Jackpot

Feb 21, 2004 - It is only a small slip of paper - but it is now worth an estimated $230 million. One Mega Millions ticket matched all six numbers in the February 20, 2004 drawing to win the estimated $230 million jackpot. That ticket was sold in Stephens City, Virginia.

Now there is one overriding question: who has that winning ticket?

The ticket was purchased at Red Apple, located at 152 Fairfax Pike in Stephens City.

“We are delighted that this huge jackpot was won in Virginia,” says Virginia Lottery Executive Director Penelope W. Kyle, who is also President of the Mega Millions Consortium. “This is the largest jackpot ever won in Virginia and the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. It is also the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won by a single ticket.”

The previous record jackpot won in Virginia was a $28.4 million Lotto jackpot won by five ticket-holders in November of 1992. Friday’s jackpot winner is just one of 148,593 winning tickets sold in Virginia for that one drawing alone. (A breakdown of the "winning tickets" will come on Monday as well as the financial data related to this win and roll.)

In addition to the person or persons holding the winning ticket, the store that sold the ticket is also a winner. For selling a jackpot winning ticket, the store will receive a $25,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery.

Mega Millions is played in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

All profits from the Virginia Lottery, including Mega Millions tickets sold in Virginia, go to public school education in the Commonwealth (K-12). In fiscal year 2003 the Lottery turned over more than $375 million for Virginia’s public schools.

The winning numbers were 01-13-20-21-30 Bonus 24.

("$230 Million - WOW - That's A Lot of Dough" - Read story)

Houston Resident Collects $42 Million Cash Value Option Lotto Texas Prize

February 19, 2004 - Heliodoro Cuenca of Houston collected a prize of $42.8 million ($42,801,674), the Cash Value Option amount of the jackpot for the January 31 Lotto Texas drawing. The advertised jackpot was $70 million.

"This is one of the biggest jackpots in a long time, and we’re happy to present it to Mr. Cuenca," said Texas Lottery Commission Reagan E. Greer. "Lotto Texas has a loyal core following and Mr. Cuenca seems to be one of those players. His loyalty has paid off handsomely."

Cuenca purchased his Quick Pick ticket at the Corner Stop, 11580 Chimney Rock Road in Houston.

For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the Corner Store is eligible to receive a bonus of one percent of the advertised jackpot, capped at $500,000.

The winning numbers were 43-18-20-38-16 Bonus 43.

South Euclid Woman Claims $162 Million Jackpot

January 6, 2004 - CLEVELAND- The Mega Millions jackpot winner has come forward today to claim the $162 million Mega Millions jackpot prize from Dec. 30, says Director Dennis G. Kennedy. It is the first Mega Millions jackpot hit here in Ohio .

Rebecca Jemison of South Euclid says that she has played what’s become the winning numbers “every now and then” for the past several years on a bet card. She played the same combination for the Dec. 26 drawing as well.

She discovered she won after picking up the local newspaper outside her doorstep on New Year’s Eve.

“I looked at the numbers several times,” she said, not believing exactly what had happened. After she realized that she had the winning numbers, she said she went straight to her mom’s house to share the good news first. She came home soon after to tell her husband Sam.

“A million and one things go through your mind after you’ve won,” she said. She said that she and her husband will take some time to decide what they will do with their windfall. Their only definite plans are to relocate.

Married and a mother of one, Jemison is an employee of Hillcrest Hospital .

Jemison matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win. The winning numbers were: 12-18-21-32-46 +49. She chose the cash option, worth an estimated ** $94,020,545.10 before taxes. After withholdings, she will receive a lump sum payment estimated at $67,224,689.76.

** Editors Note: The prize pool had $95,565,574.

Texas City Partnership Claims $8.8 Million

Posted 1/8/04 - December 1, 2003 - The Treshay Limited Partnership, LynnCan LLC, represented by General Partner Candace Ford, President, of Texas City, today collected an $8.8 million Lotto Texas jackpot prize at Texas Lottery headquarters in Austin. The total prize before taxes was $8,848,659, the Cash Value Option amount that was this ticket's share of the estimated $29 million jackpot for this drawing. (Both of the winning tickets were self picked tickets - the press release fails to tell this.)

"The Treshay Partnership really cashed in today, taking home a before-taxes prize of just over $8.8 million," said Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Reagan E. Greer. "We're happy to be a part of what I'm sure will be a great holiday season for those connected to this partnership."

The T & T Food Mart, located at 7320 FM 1765 in Texas City, is eligible to receive a bonus of one percent of the jackpot for selling the ticket. That comes to $145,000.

Mohammad Golshan claimed the other share of the ticket. The Houston resident also chose the Cash Value Option and purchased his ticket at Fiesta Mart #19, located at 1005 Blalock in Houston.

The numbers drawn for the Saturday, November 8, Lotto Texas drawing were 5-11-17-16-34 Bonus 7.

Houston Lotto Texas Winner Claims $8.8 Million

Posted 1/8/04 - November 19, 2003 - No problems here. At least not for Mohammad Golshan, who today, became the 82nd Lotto Texas winner from Harris County. Golshan claimed his part of the Lotto jackpot from the Saturday, November 8 drawing, worth $29 million. There were two tickets that matched all five numbers plus the Bonus Ball for the drawing. (Both of the winning tickets were self picked tickets - the press release fails to tell this.)

"Houston and its surrounding area have traditionally been one of the Texas Lottery's highest selling districts," Executive Director Reagan E. Greer stated. "We're very happy for Mr. Golshan, and wish him all the best with his prize, which came to more than $8.8 million."

Golshan, who chose the Cash Value Option, purchased his ticket at Fiesta Mart #19, located at 1005 Blalock in Houston. The retail owner is eligible to receive a bonus of $145,000 for selling the jackpot winning Lotto Texas ticket.

The second Lotto ticket was sold in Texas City at the T & T Food Mart, located at 7320 FM 1765. The retail owner is also eligible to receive a bonus of $145,000 for selling a winning ticket. As of today, the Texas City ticket holder(s) has not claimed their part of the jackpot prize. The ticket was purchased with the Cash Value Option, and is worth $8,848,659, before taxes.

The numbers drawn for the Saturday, November 8, Lotto Texas drawing were 5-11-17-16-34 Bonus 7.