A Washington, D.C., man sued Powerball for $340 million after claiming he was unfairly denied prize money despite having the winning numbers listed on the website.
John Cheeks bought a Powerball ticket on January 6, 2023 and chose his numbers based on his family members’ birthdays.
He missed watching the drawing live the next day, but on Jan. 8 he discovered his numbers matched those he found on the D.C. lottery website and saw the massive $320 million prize.
‘I got a little excited, but I didn’t scream, I didn’t scream. I just politely called a friend. I took a photo as he recommended and that was it. I went to sleep,’ Cheeks said. News4.
He soon realized that the numbers on the website and ticket did not match the numbers drawn on television, even though his numbers were displayed online for three days, the lawsuit states.
According to the filing, the lottery contractor, Taoti Enterprises, made a “mistake” and posted the wrong winning numbers on the website.
John Cheeks has filed a lawsuit against Powerball after believing he won a $320 million jackpot in January 2023.
Cheeks said he checked his numbers on the DC Lottery website on Jan. 8 (pictured), when he discovered his numbers matched for the $320 million prize.
Cheeks’ lawsuit has requested that Powerball pay him the ticket winnings he believed he had, plus an additional $72,000 per day in interest payments “due for nonpayment.”
The amount is equivalent to approximately 340 million dollars.
Cheeks said he didn’t rush to claim his prize as he was busy with his work. He is working on creating a trust bank that would provide loans to people who don’t qualify for traditional mortgages.
“The crisis of the homeownership situation here in the District, Virginia and Maryland,” he said.
‘Tent Cities at the State Department. Tent cities at Union Station.
According to legal documents, Cheeks discovered his fortune was threatened after he went to a licensed lottery retailer and was denied the prize.
He then moved on to the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming’s prize center, where he received another denial and a request from a claims officer.
Cheeks said the officer told him his ticket was invalid and he should “throw it in the trash.”
And I gave him a stern look. I said, “In the trash can?” She later recalled that the officer confirmed that she should throw away the ticket and told her: “They are not going to pay you.”
Cheeks said he chose his numbers based on family members’ birthdays. The physical lottery ticket he bought on January 6 is seen along with a denial when he checked his numbers
He soon realized that the numbers on the website and ticket did not match the numbers drawn on television, even though his numbers were displayed online for three days.
Cheeks was told he should throw away the ticket, but instead he kept it and hired his lawyer, Richard Evans (pictured).
Against the officer’s orders, Cheeks pocketed the ticket and placed it in a safe deposit box before asking a lawyer for help.
‘They said one of their contractors made a mistake. “I haven’t seen evidence to support that yet,” Cheek’s attorney, Richard Evans, told News4.
“Even if a mistake was made, the question is, ‘What do you do about it?'” he said, before adding that a similar case occurred in Iowa and the contractor paid the profits to the plaintiff.
DailyMail.com contacted Powerball and Taoti Enterprises but did not receive a response.
Taoti Enterprises previously responded to News4’s request for comment and said it would receive a response. The other organizations told the outlet they cannot comment on the ongoing lawsuits.
The jackpot Cheeks thought was his eventually grew to $754.6 million and one ticket holder won the prize on February 6.
According US Newsthe odds of winning the Powerball are about one in 292.2 million, and the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about one in 302.6 million.