BALTIMORE, Md. — A Philadelphia man nearly threw away a $50,000 Powerball prize after leaving his ticket in a bag during a road trip through Maryland, according to Maryland Lottery officials.
The winner, who goes by the nickname “Philly Jawn,” claimed the third-tier Powerball prize at Maryland Lottery headquarters on Friday. He purchased the ticket on June 4 at Woodlawn Mart, located at 1818 Woodlawn Drive in Baltimore County, while grabbing snacks during a stop on his drive home.
More than a week later, while cleaning out his car, he discovered the bag of tickets. He scanned them using the Maryland Lottery app and was stunned to find that one of the Powerball tickets was worth $50,000.
“I was ecstatic when I realized I won,” he said. “I hope this is the first of many wins.”
A frequent traveler and engineer, Philly Jawn has played the Lottery for four years and often chooses numbers tied to family birthdays. He hasn’t shared the news with anyone yet but said the excitement is difficult to contain.
Near miss for Philadelphia winner
To win a third-tier Powerball prize, a player must match four white balls and the red Power Ball. The ticket came just one number shy of the jackpot. The winner said he plans to use the prize money to pay off bills and put the rest into savings.