Va. man wins lottery, waits 5 months to cash in $200M Mega Millions ticket
By APFriday, March 12, 2010
Va. man waits 5 months, collects $200M prize
HARRISONBURG, Va. — For five months, Virginia carpenter Steve Williams lived with a secret worth millions.
Williams won a $200 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot on Oct. 16 but only came forward Friday after consulting with legal and financial advisers. Williams, from Shenandoah in northern Virginia, says he is going to invest the money.
Williams chose the cash option of $125 million, rather than receive the full amount over 26 years. After taxes, Williams gets about $88.9 million.
He let the computer select his winning numbers when he purchased the ticket at the gas station Valley’s in Shenandoah. Williams is a regular at the store, and even makes the morning coffee there.
Lottery officials say his jackpot was the second-highest paid out to a Virginia resident.
