SHELBY, N.C. — Benjamin Estioko Jr. of Shelby said he’s celebrating the holiday early after he won a $100,000 Powerball prize.
“I feel so lucky,” Estioko said. “This is a very happy day.”
The Vietnam Navy veteran’s good luck happened when he stopped by the Cleveland Food Mart on Warren Street in Shelby.
He bought a $3 Power Play Powerball ticket for Wednesday’s drawing.
He found out he won the next morning.
“I had to double check and triple check the numbers,” Estioko said. “When I told my wife she thought I was scamming her. I figured she’d finally believe me when I show her the check.”
Estioko claimed the prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After taxes, he took home $70,502. He plans to use some of the money to pay off his wife’s car.
The ticket matched the numbers on four of the white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000. Because he added the $1 Power Play feature, the prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X multiplier was drawn. The ticket beat odds of one in 913,129.
The jackpot for Saturday’s Powerball drawing is $281 million or $166.8 million cash.
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