Personal Finance
Howard County Cop Stops For Gas, Food Then Wins $50K On A Powerball Ticket
A Howard County police officer has won $50,004 playing Powerball. He stopped to get gas and food at a Royal Farms store, plus the ticket.
HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A police officer who needed food and gas stopped by a Royal Farms store and grabbed a lotto ticket while there. As luck would have it, the Powerball ticket he bought won him $50,004.
The Howard County police officer told Maryland Lottery officials that he's an occasional lottery player and hadn't played for a few weeks.
“After I gassed up I went inside to get something to eat,” the law enforcement official said July 18 after claiming his prize. “That’s when I noticed the lottery machine. I figured, why not?”
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He chose Powerball and bought a $10 quick pick ticket (five sets of numbers) for the July 14 drawing. He discovered he’d won a third-tier prize – matching four of the first five balls plus the Powerball – courtesy of his Lottery smartphone app.
“I did a double-take when I compared the numbers to my ticket," he said.
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Matching the Powerball on another of his five combinations added $4 to his total.
“It was a real surprise. Never expected it," the police officer added.
The Royal Farms store at 8268 Lark Brown Drive in Elkridge sold the hot ticket and will receive a percentage of the winnings.
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