Francisco Garcia of Charlotte said a craving for a snack led him to a $200,000 lottery prize.
Garcia, a concrete worker, stopped at the Circle K on Providence Road in Charlotte Monday night to get something to eat. While he was there, he bought a $5 Mega Millions/Powerball scratch-off ticket. He scratched the ticket in the store.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Garcia said. “I was so shocked. I started shaking and sweating. It was exciting.”
He claimed the prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $141,003. He plans to use the money to buy a house.
“It’s been a dream of mine to own a home,” Garcia said.
The Mega Millions/Powerball scratch-off game launched in October with four top prizes of $200,000. Two top prizes remain.
Ticket sales from games like the Mega Millions/Powerball scratch-off ticket make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.