WASHINGTON — There’s a $10 million lottery winner who bought their ticket in Virginia, lottery officials announced.
Purchased in Manassas, Virginia Lottery officials said the prize is the largest offered by a scratcher ticket -- $10 million!
Joseph K. Heaton won the big jackpot and received his big check from lottery officials on Friday.
The winner spoke about his incredible stroke of luck during a check presentation at the store where bought the ticket -- the Sudley Shell just off Interstate 66 in Manassas.
Heaton just scratched an Extreme Millions ticket from the Virginia Lottery as he walked up to the store clerk and smiled, lottery officials said.
"A winner?” the clerk asked.
The clerk tried to guess the amount of the prize. Heaton suggested a few numbers, but the Haymarket man just kept replying, "Higher… higher."
Turns out, he’d won the game’s $10 million top prize, lottery officials said.
"I couldn’t believe it," Heaton later said. "My head has been spinning ever since."
Heaton had a choice of taking the full $10 million over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $6,570,302 before taxes. He chose the cash option.
The store receives a $50,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.