BALTIMORE, Md. — A Maryland man threw away a $250,000 Mega Millions ticket before realizing his mistake and finding it after a 90-minute search.
The 49-year-old man, whose name wasn't released by Maryland Lottery officials, bought several tickets for the March 9 drawing. After checking them and thinking none was a winner, he threw them out.
A Maryland Lottery employee told the winner's brother that a $250,000 winning ticket had been sold at the store — Barnabas Liquors in Temple Hills.
"I immediately got a report from the store's lottery terminal to find out what the numbers were," the man said.
"I called my wife to tell her we won the $250,000 winning Mega Millions prize, but I was looking for the ticket in the trash."
He said it took about an hour and a half to find the ticket.
The winner and his wife plan to use the winnings to pay bills and take a trip to Europe.
Mega Millions drawings occur each Tuesday and Saturday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Thanks to truesee for the tip.
Good thing he doesn't shred 'em or burn 'em.
I may be overly cautious but I keep 'em for a year.
Glad he found it though. I bet that was a hectic experience.
If that was me........FORGET about calling the wife haha, I'd be searching like a maniac to find that ticket.
Grey hair? Ha his hair would probably all fall out LOL then it would come back grey.
Good for him that he found his ticket! I bet from now on he won't be in such a hurry to toss his tickets.
I agree with you, he could have shred or torn it up in to a million little pieces, which I've done on several occasions but I'm glad in found it on time--his destiny to win it--WTG
He said he bought several tickets for the March 9 drawing. After checking them and thinking none was a winner, he threw them out.
He checked them and tossed them in the trash what an oafs what if they were on the way to the dump. I cant believe it anybody that buys tickets and tosses them before they have been checked throughly is stupid. It almost as bad as those people who look at a ticket and see that it's a winner and then say they don't believe its a winner. Winning money doesn't make people smarter thats for sure.
"After checking them and thinking none was a winner, he threw them out."
How could he not see that one of his lines was a winner? I would think that having 5 numbers on the same line would kind of pop-up at you. Well, it was a good thing that he checked the trash before he lost the ticket forever.
Saying he threw his winning ticket in the trash and searched an hour to find it made his story interesting enough to get covered. We probably won't read about those winners who simply checked their tickets and claimed their winnings.
Hey, he didn't have his glasses on...so, he couldn't see the numbers. Magnifying glass, anyone?
ppl really amaze me. how can u do something like that??? i check over my tickets many many times before i throw them away. insanity
Maybe he used the SCANNER at the store and it said 'not a winner' ????? Other than that I can't think of HOW anyone wouldn't know?
Wow, this jackpot winning man has a WONDERFUL brother -- a shiny gem!!! I hope that this winner buys his brother something VERY valuable (or even better, adds his brother to the claim form for receiving a 10%+ portion of the jackpot).
Oh happy days to come!
The first thing he needs to buy is glasses!!
God Lord - how can you make a mistake like that when he actually checked the numbers? Can you imagine a week later finding out you'd won but the trash would be gone by then?!