There is a $16 million Powerball lottery ticket on the loose, and it has yet to be found. According to Florida Lottery officials, the jackpot remains unclaimed and is set to expire tonight, Thursday, November 21, 2013, at 11:59 p.m. “It’s here, we’re ready to give it to the rightful owner. We want to give the money away,” stated David Bishop, a spokesman for the Florida Lottery. Hopefully the owner of the winning Powerball lottery ticket does not realize after it is too late.
There have been neighborhood residents who have continued to question Florida’s missing ticket. Most do not understand why an individual would purchase the ticket, win the $16M jackpot, and then not claim it. Laura Winkles said, “I wish I had it. How could someone be so silly? This is just free money.” But she is not the only one who questions where the ticket is located. Nidia Tannous, the owner of the store where the ticket was sold, wonders about the winner everyday and has even placed signs in her store’s window since Memorial Day. “The store is a neighborhood store, and pretty much ninety percent of our customers are regular customers. We still have a little bit of hope that somebody will come before Thursday,” she said. The store also received $25,000 for selling the winning lottery ticket.
According to the Florida Lottery website, if a Powerball jackpot is not claimed within its 180-day deadline, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.” The drawing was held on Saturday, May 25, 2013, and was purchased at Carrollwood Market on West Village Drive in Tampa, Florida. The winning numbers are: 02, 06, 19, 21, 27, and a Powerball of 25.
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