A California lottery winner has claimed he hasn't received his $44,000,000 despite winning the Powerball jackpot more than nine weeks ago.
Orange County resident Jerry is a regular player of the lottery, often taking his chances on the likes of Fantasy 5, Powerball, Super Lotto and Mega tickets.
"I play all the games," he told ABC7.
So it wasn't unusual when Jerry walked into his neighborhood Ralphs to buy lottery tickets ahead of the Powerball drawing on August 19, using some of his favorite numbers.
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What was unusual, however, was the result. All of Jerry's five numbers, including the number 10 he chose as the Powerball, were drawn in the lottery.
"It was exciting in a really subtle way because you don't anticipate ever hitting all six," Jerry said. "Six numbers on the Powerball is... the odds are you'll die before.. You'll walk out and get hit by lightning before you win that one."
Needless to say, Jerry was excited at the news that he'd won $44 million, but weeks later he says he still hasn't received a single penny.
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He described the process for a big lotto win as 'horrible', telling ABC7: "They won't tell you by this date, you'll get the funds. They won't tell you that. They leave it open-ended so you're sitting, waiting daily... (hoping you're going to get these funds)."
Carolyn Becker, Deputy Director Public Affairs and Communications at California State Lottery, has indicated that a lengthy wait time isn't anything unusual.
Becker explained that the fastest a winner might get paid is within four weeks, but even that doesn't happen very often.
According to lottery officials, the goal is to complete each case within six to eight weeks - though, as with Jerry's case, it can take longer.
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While California State Lottery did not comment specifically on Jerry's claim, the company stated that any person claiming to have a winning ticket has to go through a lengthy vetting process.
The process includes an investigation conducted by the lottery's own law enforcement team, and making sure the alleged winner doesn't owe the state any money in taxes or child support.
Becker explained: "California Lottery processes, believe it or not, 10,000 plus claims a month, so we want to manage the expectations of our winners."
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Though Jerry doesn't yet know for sure when he'll receive his winnings, he's hopeful he'll be able to start splashing the cash soon.
UNILAD has contacted the California State Lottery for comment.
Topics: Lottery, California, Money
Emily Brown