Garner resident Timothy Emerick bought two tickets for the Dec. 13 Powerball drawing and, after uncovering two $100,000 prizes, he plans to give one of the prizes to his twin brother.
“I always said if I won I would share it with him,” Emerick said.
Emerick moved to North Carolina a couple months ago to be closer to his brother. He said the decision to give him one of the prizes was easy.
“Over the years whenever I’ve needed him he’s been there,” Emerick said. “I think he’d do the same thing if the situation was reversed.”
He bought his lucky tickets from the BJ’s Membership Club on Shenstone Boulevard in Garner where he works. He bought the ticket from a store associate who was working at the time.
Emerick matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. His prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X multiplier hit. He said he initially didn’t plan to buy two identical tickets.
“The gentleman at the store accidentally printed two tickets with the same numbers so I just decided to buy them both,” he recalled.
He arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to claim his $100,000 prize and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $71,251. He said he will use his winnings to pay some bills.
Wednesday’s Powerball drawing offers an estimated $620 million jackpot, or $310.8 million in cash.
Players can buy Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
During the holiday season, Play Smart, Gift Smart raises awareness that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for kids as part of a national gift responsibly campaign. Research shows that the earlier someone participates in or is exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Check out this blog to learn more.
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