RALEIGH, N.C. — A retired North Carolina U.S. Army veteran won $4 million with the help of a fortune cookie.
Gabriel Fierro, 60 of Cornelius, says he took the numbers from his fortune cookie and used them in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing.
“I don’t usually play my fortune cookie numbers, but I tried them on a whim,” Fierro said in a news release.
Fierro, who spent 32 years in the Army before retiring as a disabled combat veteran, said he got the fortune cookie at the Red Bowl restaurant in Charlotte, where he and his wife eat about once a week.
Fierro bought his $3 ticket using Online Play. He added $1 to make it a Megaplier and multiply any win.
"His $4 million prize became the largest win in the history of Online Play in North Carolina," lottery officials said.
“I got an email in the morning, and I just stared at it dumbfounded,” Fierro said. “I took it and showed it to my wife and she thought it was an April Fool’s joke or maybe a scam.”
After realizing it wasn't a joke, Fierro said he and his wife started running around the house screaming.
After federal and state tax withholdings, Fierro took home $2,840,401. He said he plans to invest most of his winnings.
“We are going to buy some champagne on the way home,” Fierro said.
North Carolinians have a chance to win $376 million in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.