COLLEGE PARK, MD. – A College Park delivery driver decided on a whim to buy three $25 Maryland Lottery Scratch-Offs during a trip to a Gaithersburg supermarket. One of those tickets turned into a stunning $100,000 payday.
Sandy Reyes-Soto purchased three $1,000,000 Crossword tickets at the Giant supermarket at 46 Bureau Drive in Gaithersburg, according to the Maryland Lottery. He uncovered nine words in the third puzzle on one ticket, enough to capture the game’s $100,000 second-tier prize.
Reyes-Soto claimed his windfall Sept. 1 at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. The delivery driver already has a practical plan for part of his winnings: buying a new car.
Key Points
- Sandy Reyes-Soto of College Park won $100,000 on a $1,000,000 Crossword Scratch-Off.
- He bought three $25 tickets on a whim at the Giant supermarket on Bureau Drive in Gaithersburg.
- Reyes-Soto works as a delivery driver and plans to use his winnings to purchase a new car.
Nine Words Unlock a $100K Payday
Reyes-Soto wasn’t described as heading into Giant with a carefully planned lottery strategy. According to the Maryland Lottery, he selected the $1,000,000 Crossword game on a whim.
He purchased three tickets at $25 apiece, spending $75 in total.
One ticket quickly separated itself from the others. Reyes-Soto identified nine words in the third Crossword puzzle: kin, chip, pie, niece, ham, iodine, urn, inch and node.
That combination made the ticket a $100,000 second-tier winner, according to the Lottery.
The agency released a photo of a smiling Reyes-Soto following the win.
Delivery Driver Has a Fitting Plan for Winnings
Reyes-Soto traveled to Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore and claimed the $100,000 prize Sept. 1.
For someone who makes his living on the road, his first major purchase could prove particularly useful.
Reyes-Soto told lottery officials he plans to use his winnings to buy a new car. The College Park resident works as a delivery driver.
The Maryland Lottery announcement did not provide additional details about the type of vehicle he intends to purchase or other plans for the remainder of the prize.
Who won the $100,000 Maryland Lottery prize?
Sandy Reyes-Soto, a College Park resident who works as a delivery driver, won the $100,000 second-tier prize.
Where was the winning Scratch-Off purchased?
Reyes-Soto bought the $1,000,000 Crossword ticket at the Giant supermarket at 46 Bureau Drive in Gaithersburg.
What will Sandy Reyes-Soto do with his winnings?
He told Maryland Lottery officials that he plans to buy a new car, a fitting purchase given his job as a delivery driver.
Sources: Maryland Lottery winner announcement, Sept. 2, 2026; statements provided by Sandy Reyes-Soto to Maryland Lottery officials.
