Woman Claims $2 Million Powerball Ticket Bought at Rodman’s in White Flint Plaza

Washington, D.C. mom takes home prize in Feb. 26 drawing

Per MD Lottery:

“Me and my son watch ‘(My) Lottery Dream Home’ all the time,” said a 44-year-old Washington, D.C. resident. “Now, we can get our very own Lottery dream home.” The key to making her dream come true was a $3 Powerball ticket, which won $2 million in the Feb. 26 drawing.

“Smudge,” which is a nickname she chose for publicity as a shoutout to her 11-year-old son, said she doesn’t often play Lottery games. However, watching the popular television show where a host takes Lottery winners on a search for their dream home piqued her interest in the game. Last Saturday, while her son was involved in his normal weekend activities in Maryland, “Smudge” decided to do a little shopping.

“I was having company later and I wanted to get a bottle of wine,” she said.

“Smudge” stopped at Rodman’s Discount Gourmet in Kensington for a few grocery items and the bottle of wine. While there, she spotted the store’s Lottery vending equipment and decided to purchase $20 worth of games. “Smudge” bought a $5 and a $10 scratch-off, a $2 Cash4Life ticket and a $2 Powerball quick-pick ticket. She added $1 to the Powerball ticket for the Power Play multiplier option before leaving to pick up her son and head home.

The office coordinator played the two scratch-offs first, which were not winners. She didn’t check the Cash4Life and Powerball tickets until the next day. Cash4Lifefailed to give her a win, either. However, as she checked her Powerball ticket, the astonished mom realized she was matching the winning numbers one by one.

“My brain just couldn’t process it, you know,” said “Smudge.” “I called my son so he could check the ticket again for me and his eyes got big as he said, ‘Mom, they’re the same!’ ”

The shocked woman then called her husband so he could examine the ticket and confirm the win. He, too, expressed disbelief. “Smudge” had matched four of the white balls and the Powerball number. Because she added the Power Play option to her ticket, the $1 million second-tier prize doubled to $2 million.

“It’s so crazy, I remember telling my son, ‘I want my Lottery dream home,’ ” she said, smiling. She will soon have one. In addition to buying a house, “Smudge” plans to save some of the fortune for her son’s college education.

“Smudge” isn’t the only winner. Rodman’s Discount Gourmet located at 5148 Nicholson Lane in Kensington will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the $2 million winning ticket with Power Play.