‘Blessed’ North Carolina man claims $1 million lottery prize — a month later
A lucky North Carolina man has claimed a big lottery prize — nearly one month after a call for players to check their tickets.
“We’re blessed,” Joseph DeHart said when he finally came forward with his wife on Friday, according to a news release from the N.C. Education Lottery.
DeHart’s good fortune started when he stopped at Catamount Travel Center in Whittier. The Jackson County community is roughly 55 miles southwest of Asheville.
He bought a $2 ticket for the Powerball game and ended up winning a $1 million prize, the lottery said Monday in a news release.
The announcement came after officials last month announced a lottery player bought a winning ticket in North Carolina but hadn’t come forward. The person matched enough numbers in the Jan. 25 Powerball drawing, becoming one of three winners nationwide, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“Check your #Powerball tickets folks,” the lottery posted on Twitter at the time.
DeHart, who lives in Graham County, gets $707,500 after taxes, according to the news release.
He may not be the only person to get a big windfall.
The jackpot for the Powerball drawing on Wednesday totals $70 million, the N.C. Education Lottery says.
Lottery winners have a roughly six-month period to claim their prizes, according to officials.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 4:29 PM with the headline "‘Blessed’ North Carolina man claims $1 million lottery prize — a month later."
