News writer
Ever had that sinking feeling when you misplace something important, like your keys, phone, or wallet? Now imagine that “something” is a winning lottery ticket worth millions.
That's exactly the nightmare one Pennsylvania woman is living after unknowingly donating away a $2.5 million jackpot. Could her fortune be gone forever, or will fate take an unexpected turn?
A costly mistake?
In May 2024, 76-year-old Mildred Simoneriluto went to the Shop n' Save in Murraysville and purchased a Cash 5 ticket from the Pennsylvania Lottery. The ticket was for the May 8, 2024, drawing, where the winning numbers were 14, 22, 33, 35, and 38.
Simoneriluto didn't realize she matched all five of the numbers and had the winning ticket until two weeks later. The jackpot for that drawing happened to be $2.5 million.
When she went to go find the ticket, she couldn't find it. Why? Simoneriluto placed the ticket in the pocket of a jacket, which she ended up donating along with some other clothes.
Simoneriluto told WTAE:
I was stupefied; there are no words for it, there's no expression. How can I get it back?
A year of anguish
Ever since she figured out she had donated the jackpot-winning ticket, Simoneriluto said she has been living in anguish — fretting over the lost ticket. Now she is worried that the ticket will expire and she'll miss out on the winnings completely. The ticket is set to expire on May 8, 2025, if no one claims it before then.
It's going to be a hard find also, as she donated the jacket and other clothing to Vietnam Veterans of America. This organization happens to dispense donations across the country and even outside of the United States.
With a little over a month left to claim the ticket, Simoneriluto realizes that if the ticket is claimed, someone else will likely turn it in. She told WTAE:
What else can I do? Cry out loud and hope that something will happen positive on my end.
Needs a ticket to claim the prize
While Simoneriluto has a very sad story to go with her possible jackpot-winning ticket disappearing, Pennsylvania Lottery officials said she must have the ticket in her possession in order to claim the jackpot. However, that ticket could be anywhere in the world and no one has yet to claim it.
A similar story came out of California, as a man is suing the state lottery claiming he won two times in a Mega Millions drawing with the jackpot being $394 million. While he has already claimed half of the winnings, he says he lost the other winning ticket — which both tickets were purchased at the same gas station.
The second winning ticket expired on December 7, 2024, but this man says he purchased the ticket and should be able to collect the winnings. However, lottery officials said the case should be thrown out since he doesn't have the ticket, so no payout. For now, we wait for it to play out in the court system.
Enjoy playing the Pennsylvania Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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