Group of six co-workers wins $170 Million Mega Millions lottery jackpot
The winning $170 million Mega Millions lottery ticket was sold in Painesville, Ohio ... but who's got that hot ticket?
Channel 3 reporter Paul Thomas got the exclusive interview with a man who claims to have the proof in hand that he just became an instant millionaire.
It's pretty black and white to Bob Hennessey. He showed us the photocopy of what appears to be the winning ticket. He says it was purchased by a group of six co-workers.
Hennessey said that the actual $170 million piece of paper is in safekeeping right now.
Judy Hennessey's hands are still shaking. She still can't believe the photocopy of six little numbers all in a row. "You have nothing and all of a sudden you have everything," she said.
"I watched it live and about jumped through the roof," Bob Hennessey added. "She didn't believe me ... we were up all night."
The winning ticket was sold at a Convenient Food Mart in Painesville, Ohio.
Hennessey says a group of six co-workers at JPH Precision Parts, a machine shop, pitched in $5 a piece for the Mega-Millions lottery. The shop is just a minute's drive away from the convenience store.
"We're going to be into work Monday, but that might be the last day," he says.
But, what are the odds that Hennessey and his co-workers have the winning ticket? It's not official until the lottery runs the ticket through their computer. We highlighted the date mark for the drawing on the ticket. It sure looks like Friday, July 22nd.
And it's still tough for Bob Hennessey to believe that his portion of the one-time payout is about $17 million.
"It hasn't really gone over me yet," he said. "I got to get a hold of a lawyer ... see what's going on, then I'll be good to go."
But right now, they have things to do. The Hennessey's have a new car to buy.
If the lottery verifies it as the winning ticket, it would be the fourth Mega Millions jackpot ticket sold in northeast Ohio in the last year and a half.
The Hennessey's say they have some bills to pay off and some payback to all the people who've helped them in the past.