New Iberia Man Claims $1 Million Powerball Prize

Gregory Guardia visited Lottery headquarters on Jan. 26 to claim a Louisiana Lottery $1 million Powerball prize.

The 30-year-old New Iberia resident’s ticket matched all five white-ball numbers but missed the red Powerball number in the Jan. 6 drawing. Guardia is the last of three $1 million winners to claim their prize as a result of the world record Powerball jackpot run in January that eventually rose to $1.58 billion.

He received $700,000 after federal and state taxes were withheld. The winning ticket was purchased at Food N Fun #18 in New Iberia. The store will receive a one-time selling bonus of $10,000, which is 1 percent of the prize.

Food N Fun #18 Manager Jennifer Jones said her small town of New Iberia was buzzing with the news that her store had sold the winning ticket from the time she started her early morning shift the day after the drawing.

“Everybody was coming in the morning after and they kept telling us we sold a million dollar ticket,” Jones said. “Everybody wanted to check their ticket and everything—it was something.”

Ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age. Draw-style game tickets must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. Anyone who may have a gambling problem or friends and family of anyone with a gambling problem should call toll free 1-877-770-7867 for help.

For security purposes, the Lottery strongly encourages players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchasing. More information about other Powerball winners can be found on the Lottery’s website, www.louisianalottery.com.