Apparent Arizona winner captured on video the moment he learned of win

Nov 30, 2012, 8:43 am (221 comments)

Powerball

Several store customers and clerk saw winning ticket, verified winning numbers

Apparent winner purchased ticket in Arizona but checked ticket in Maryland

Includes video report

A man, who appeared to be a construction or highway worker, walked into a Prince George's County, Maryland, Exxon Thursday afternoon and — according to witnesses — walked out a multi-multi-millionaire.

Employees and customers at Marlboro Village Exxon are still buzzing from the remarkable scene they witnessed this afternoon.

Surveillance cameras show a tall, bald man donned in a neon yellow outfit walk slowly in, in no particular rush. He digs deep into a pocket to pull out various lottery tickets. He checks to see if he won anything.

Seconds later, he starts pumping his arms. He gives the ticket, which he says he purchased in Arizona, to clerk Nagassi Ghebre, who says the winning numbers were on the Powerball ticket.

The apparent winner of one of the biggest jackpots of all time quickly turns to a customer for further verification.

If this one of the two national winners, this mystery man gets, after splitting the cash option with a winner from Missouri, nearly $200 million.

One customer said he heard the possible winner may be in the military.

According to witnesses the man did not buy the ticket in Maryland. He merely showed people what looked like a winning ticket.

According to an Arizona Lottery official, the ticket was purchased in a store near Scottsdale. The man would have to return to Arizona to turn in his winning ticket within 180 days.

VIDEO: Watch surveillance video of the man reacting to his huge win

ABC News, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Hmmmm......

c*aramel

I have family in Upper Marlboro. Is he a cousin?

Todd's avatarTodd

If this guy really is the winner, this is some of the coolest lottery video ever.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

WOW!!!! maybe he was visiting for there for the Holiday last week and bought his ticket on Sunday like I did. I know when my sister in-law came she bought tickets from Maryland and checked them here as well. So anything is possible.

rock_nc's avatarrock_nc

This is what I seen on the News this morning. He must have been traveling through ARIZONA and purchase the ticket.

Sabrina1012001's avatarSabrina1012001

That is absolutely cool. Don't think I would be showing everybody for fear of getting robbed. Lol

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

IT GETS INTERESTINGER & INTERESTINGER!

Crazy

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

wow its a long drive from maryland to arizona,  safe drive home mystery man


plus he made a big mistake, he didnt sign the back of it, the moment he won.

Ronnie316

Perhaps he was visiting the casino near Fountain Hills and stopped for a sandwich and a QP?

RJOh's avatarRJOh

It will be interesting to see what guy who shows up in Arizona with winning ticket looks like.

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

6% tax on non residents. for arizona. he may want to move lol theres a 1.92M difference in state taxes. for him

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by savagegoose on Nov 30, 2012

6% tax on non residents. for arizona. he may want to move lol theres a 1.92M difference in state taxes. for him

I think you have to have lived there for 6 months to be considered a resident.

VenomV12

This guy is lucky he is built like an NFL linebacker because handing that ticket to the clerk and the other people has got to be one of the stupidest and most dangerous things I have ever seen done. Just announcing it was dangerous enough. 

RedStang's avatarRedStang

He's not wearing a mcdonalds uniform so im pretty convinced he won something.

golfer1960's avatargolfer1960

What I love about this video is that we get to see the "real time" reaction of someone who just discovered that he won the one of the biggest lotteries in history. Priceless! 

I have always wondered how I would react if I won.

I have a premeditated idea of what I'd do but what would I really do?

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I think there's a law in Arizona that everybody has to wear a yellow vest.

Astekblue's avatarAstekblue

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Nov 30, 2012

If this guy really is the winner, this is some of the coolest lottery video ever.

I Agree!

 

 

Amazing    Video

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Thumbs UpGotta Love surveillance video Yes Nod every Business & home should have them Yes Nod

 

Congrats! to all the winners Party

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by VenomV12 on Nov 30, 2012

This guy is lucky he is built like an NFL linebacker because handing that ticket to the clerk and the other people has got to be one of the stupidest and most dangerous things I have ever seen done. Just announcing it was dangerous enough. 

I Agree! with that No No

 

Always Sign, Copy & Check it before anything... Smiley

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Nov 30, 2012

I think there's a law in Arizona that everybody has to wear a yellow vest.

why is that rdg LOL

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by VenomV12 on Nov 30, 2012

This guy is lucky he is built like an NFL linebacker because handing that ticket to the clerk and the other people has got to be one of the stupidest and most dangerous things I have ever seen done. Just announcing it was dangerous enough. 

"He gives the ticket, which he says he purchased in Arizona, to clerk Nagassi Ghebre"

And one of the guys in the video said he held the ticket too.

Been many out of state winners, but this might be the first across the country winner.

whiteballz's avatarwhiteballz

Ohh no! He is from Maryland? I hope he's not related to Mirlande Wilson.  Shifty

Piaceri

Great video! Congrats to the winner. LOL, what a way to find out you are the winner.

C0w Pi3

Looks like a refinary worker. Maybe he's on the travel crew..

surimaribo24's avatarsurimaribo24

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Nov 30, 2012

If this guy really is the winner, this is some of the coolest lottery video ever.

I Agree!

jmcbc1963

Road trip!

LotteryInOK

I have a question, since the man is from Maryland and won the lottery in Arizona, can he claim the winnings in Maryland or does he have to go back to Arizona to claim the winnings?

C0w Pi3

Quote: Originally posted by LotteryInOK on Nov 30, 2012

I have a question, since the man is from Maryland and won the lottery in Arizona, can he claim the winnings in Maryland or does he have to go back to Arizona to claim the winnings?

Has to go to Arizona within the next 180 days to claim it.

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Nov 30, 2012

I think there's a law in Arizona that everybody has to wear a yellow vest.

Welcome back Ridgerunner !

When I saw the yellow vest my first thought was, road construction or utility worker.

LotteryInOK

Quote: Originally posted by C0w Pi3 on Nov 30, 2012

Has to go to Arizona within the next 180 days to claim it.

Thank you!

Cletu$2's avatarCletu$2

Lucky s.o.b.,shoulda been me!Oh well,maybe next time.

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

Actually I don't think it's cool at all that they released the video.  It's bad enough there are cameras everywhere you look but to release without his consent should be illegal IMHO.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Nov 30, 2012

why is that rdg LOL

Whoops, I meant to say Maryland, not AZ, but it looked like every customer in that store had a yellow vest on.

Maybe that's a fashion trend in MD.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by haymaker on Nov 30, 2012

Welcome back Ridgerunner !

When I saw the yellow vest my first thought was, road construction or utility worker.

Thanks, haymaker.

Yeah, I thought those other guys in yellow who looked at his ticket were with him or knew him but maybe they were all from out of state on a construction project.

LotteryInOK

Quote: Originally posted by BuyLow on Nov 30, 2012

Actually I don't think it's cool at all that they released the video.  It's bad enough there are cameras everywhere you look but to release without his consent should be illegal IMHO.

I bet the lottery winner could care less

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats to the lucky excited winner

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by BuyLow on Nov 30, 2012

Actually I don't think it's cool at all that they released the video.  It's bad enough there are cameras everywhere you look but to release without his consent should be illegal IMHO.

I think you give consent to certain things when you buy the tickets. Images being one of them.....

Ronnie316

Very cool video....... Hope its not a prank........

Romoneyia's avatarRomoneyia

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Nov 30, 2012

He's not wearing a mcdonalds uniform so im pretty convinced he won something.

Im guessing your statement is because he is black and the other chick was black that lied for publicity.so now you ignorantly think all black people are liars about winning the lottery.we will never know if you would have made that statement had the color of his skin been white.smh.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by Romoneyia on Nov 30, 2012

Im guessing your statement is because he is black and the other chick was black that lied for publicity.so now you ignorantly think all black people are liars about winning the lottery.we will never know if you would have made that statement had the color of his skin been white.smh.

So your saying that all McDonald's workers are black........What?

Romoneyia's avatarRomoneyia

Quote: Originally posted by VenomV12 on Nov 30, 2012

This guy is lucky he is built like an NFL linebacker because handing that ticket to the clerk and the other people has got to be one of the stupidest and most dangerous things I have ever seen done. Just announcing it was dangerous enough. 

White BounceI Agree!...But Im sure the moment he realized he won..he was so overtaken with joy..that he wasnt thinking clear.I hope he doesnt get killed.Linebacker body or not.Bullets penetrate iron.I would remain anonymous and hopefully when I win can control myself but I never check my tickets in the store.fear of having that kind of attention causing reaction...anyway PartyPartygreat video...the other ticket holders didnt waste anytime claiming their money..I wouldve been in Tallahassee Thursday morning as soon as they opened the door. I love to see people win.ALL people..I hope I win one day.I'm frugal so I would take the annuity instead of the lumpsum..RantParty

Romoneyia's avatarRomoneyia

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Nov 30, 2012

So your saying that all McDonald's workers are black........What?

No Im not saying that.not sure if you are being cute.but I will keep this dialogue short.we all know a few months ago the Black female that worked at Mcdonalds and claim she found the ticket lost the ticket the ticket was hers wasnt the pool etc etc..you know the story..I am so tired of people trying to make light or cover up people racist/ignorant behavior. The person that made the comment Im sure he or she knows exactly what they were saying/implying..had that been a bald headed white male..there wouldnt have been any reference to the mcdonald situation.where is the correlation?no where in the video does it say a man walks in with a pool of construction workers to check their tickets.oh the correlation made by the poster was because the man is black just like the mcdonalds worker that lied(who was in a pool unlike this guy)...im done

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by Romoneyia on Nov 30, 2012

Im guessing your statement is because he is black and the other chick was black that lied for publicity.so now you ignorantly think all black people are liars about winning the lottery.we will never know if you would have made that statement had the color of his skin been white.smh.

McDonald's is a multi-national employer of folks of all ages, colors and backgrounds.

Many are students, some retired, others work just part-time.

Management positions pay some of the most attractive compensation packages in the industry.

To infer that RedStang was being racist by his comment, is a little ridiculous.

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Quote: Originally posted by Romoneyia on Nov 30, 2012

No Im not saying that.not sure if you are being cute.but I will keep this dialogue short.we all know a few months ago the Black female that worked at Mcdonalds and claim she found the ticket lost the ticket the ticket was hers wasnt the pool etc etc..you know the story..I am so tired of people trying to make light or cover up people racist/ignorant behavior. The person that made the comment Im sure he or she knows exactly what they were saying/implying..had that been a bald headed white male..there wouldnt have been any reference to the mcdonald situation.where is the correlation?no where in the video does it say a man walks in with a pool of construction workers to check their tickets.oh the correlation made by the poster was because the man is black just like the mcdonalds worker that lied(who was in a pool unlike this guy)...im done

Oogle

 

I think it would have been more realistic to suggest that the post was condescending toward minimum wage workers, but to extend that to racism is a stretch.

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