Ralph Mendenhall Jr. of Greenville bought a $1 Cash 5 ticket after a suggestion from his sister, and it paid off with a $347,251 win.
“She told me that Cash 5 was over a million and said I should buy a ticket,” he said.
His lucky Quick Pick ticket became one of three that matched all five numbers in Thursday’s drawing. The other wins came from Smithfield and Raleigh. The three winners split the $1,041,753 Cash 5 jackpot. The odds of matching all five balls are 1 in 962,598.
“I had to read it like three times to make sure,” Mendenhall recalled. “It probably took like an hour to sink in.”
He bought his lucky ticket from the Sheetz on Portertown Road in Greenville.
“It was a shock knowing I won that much,” Mendenhall said. “The most I’ve won before this is seven dollars.”
He took a picture of his winning ticket right away and sent it to his sister.
“I called her and told her to check her phone,” Mendenhall said. “She couldn’t believe it.”
Mendenhall claimed $347,251, his share of the jackpot, at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Tuesday. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $249,153.
He plans to share his winnings with his sister and daughters, pay off his mortgage, and invest the rest.
Cash 5 is one of six lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Wednesday’s jackpot is $197,000.
Login to leave a comment.