RALEIGH – Two men from Raleigh had luck on their side in Saturday’s drawings. Leo Yranian won the $261,797 Cash 5 jackpot. And Donnell Rochelle won $1 million playing Powerball.
The big wins from Saturday night turned into big checks Monday at lottery headquarters.
“It feels good,” Rochelle said as he collected his winnings. “It feels very good to win.”
He bought his winning ticket at the Hasty Mart on South Main Street in Wake Forest. He beat odds of 1 in 11.7 million to match all five white balls drawn. After required state and federal withholdings, Rochelle received a check for $692,500.
Yranian bought his lucky ticket at the Garner Family Fare on U.S. 70 West. His ticket was the only one to beat odds of 749,398 to win the jackpot. The after-tax value of his prize was $181,300.
Powerball players' next chance to win is Wednesday night. The jackpot annuity is $67 million, worth $40.4 million cash. Monday’s Cash 5 jackpot is $110,000.
Ticket sales make it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars a year for education. To see how the funds support specific programs in every county, visit nclottery.com and click on the “For Education” page.