SWFL Man Wins $500K Powerball Prize Thanks To Fortune Cookie Numbers
404017 04: A Big Game lottery ticket is visible as it spits out of a lottery machine at a Citgo gas station April 16, 2002 in Russell, Illinois, a small community in northern Illinois on the Illinois-Wisconsin border. Thousands of people are rushing to snap up tickets for the Tuesday night April 16, 2002 drawing, the second-biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. The jackpot in the seven-state game played in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia climbed $25 million Monday, April 15, 2002 after strong sales over the weekend. By the time of the drawing, the prize could swell past the U.S. record of $363 million, split by two Big Game winners in 2000. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
A lucky Estero man received the surprise of his life after winning a $500,000 Powerball Prize with fortune cookie numbers.
Ernesto Sorzano picked up shrimp fried rice from a Chinese takeout restaurant and decided to use the set of lucky numbers from a fortune cookie on a North Carolina Powerball lottery ticket, CNN said.
Sorzano matched four of the white balls, winning him $50,000, but the lottery officials said that the prize bolted to $500,000 because he bought a $3 power-play ticket.
“I’m just super happy that my dreams came true,” Sorzano said.
Sorzano, who is in the process of moving to North Carolina, took home $353,751 after tax on Monday.
Katherine Viloria is Beasley Media Group's Fort Myers Digital Content Manager. She loves to write, snap photos, and watch Grey's Anatomy. Connect with her on Instagram @alittlethisalittlekat
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