Who Won the $267M Lottery?

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 posted 08:02 PM EST

LYONS, Ohio, March 1, 2006 — No one has yet to step forward to claim the biggest, single lottery ticket sold in Ohio — worth $267 million — in this tiny town near the Michigan state line, state lottery officials said on Wednesday.

Lottery officials are encouraging the winner to contact a lawyer or financial planner before coming forward publicly to claim the ticket from Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, spokeswoman Marie Kilbane said at a news conference at Lyons Main Stop, a convenience store in this northwest Ohio town that sold the ticket.

The winner — who beat odds of 176 million to 1 — can take a lump sum of $113.7 million after taxes or 26 annual payments of $7.4 million.

News about the winning ticket set the town of about 500 people — about 30 miles west of Toledo — abuzz.

"It's not the littlest town in Ohio, but darn near," said Jeff Erb, general manager of Saneholtz-McKarns Inc., which owns the convenience store.

A man called the store about 10 a.m. Wednesday claiming to be the winner, Erb said.

"He wouldn't give his name, and he wouldn't come in," Erb said. "Is it the real winner, we don't know."

The store sells a lot of lottery tickets because it's on a busy state road and it's only a few miles from the Michigan state line, Erb said. Michigan doesn't play the Mega Millions game.

Lottery officials said this was the seventh Mega Millions winner in Ohio.

Ohio's previous record winner came in 2003 when a South Euclid woman won $162 million. In July 2005, a group of workers from Painesville split a $170 million jackpot.

Linda Freeworth, a manager at the store, said she received the news from a radio station that called about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday. Radio and television reporters arrived soon after for interviews.

"I've never been a big time winner. People laugh because this is a small town and nothing ever happens here," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The winning numbers from Tuesday night's drawing were 2, 4, 35, 36 and 48. The Mega Ball number was 22.

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