RALEIGH, N.C. -- A Vietnam Navy veteran received quite the Christmas surprise this week in the form of a $100,000 check.
- Benjamin Estioko Jr. purchased a $3 lottery ticket on Wednesday
- On Thursday, he discovered he won the $100,000 prize
- After taxes, he'll take home $70,502
Benjamin Estioko Jr. of Shelby, North Carolina, won the $100,000 Powerball prize after purchasing a $3 Power Play Powerball ticket on Wednesday.
He found out he won on Thursday morning and said he could hardly believe it.
“I had to double check and triple check the numbers,” Estioko said. “When I told my wife she thought I was scamming her. I figured she’d finally believe me when I show her the check.”
After tax withholdings, Estioko will take home $70,502. He says he plans to use some of the money to pay off his wife’s car.
He purchased the winning ticket at the Cleveland Food Mart on Warren Street in Shelby.