Man waits 5 months to claim $200 mil. jackpot

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By Associated Press

Summary

Steve Williams won a Mega Millions lottery jackpot on Oct. 16 but only came forward Friday after consulting with legal and financial advisers.

Story Published: Mar 12, 2010 at 12:22 PM PST

Story Updated: Mar 12, 2010 at 5:53 PM PST

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) - For five months, Virginia carpenter Steve Williams lived with a $200 million-dollar secret.

Williams won a Mega Millions lottery jackpot on Oct. 16 but only came forward Friday after consulting with legal and financial advisers. Williams, from Shenandoah in northern Virginia, says he is going to invest the money.

Williams opted to take the cash option of $125 million, rather than receive the full amount over 26 years. After taxes, Williams gets about $88.9 million.

He let the computer select his winning numbers when he purchased the ticket at the gas station Valley's in Shenandoah. Williams is a regular at the store, and even makes the morning coffee there.

Lottery officials say his jackpot was the second-highest paid out to a Virginia resident.

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