Broussard Man Almost Throws Away $200,000 Powerball Ticket

When Mark Ste. Marie of Broussard checked his Powerball ticket after the April 14 drawing, he discovered he matched only the Powerball number – or so he thought.  Satisfied by winning $3, he put the ticket away with the intention of cashing it later. 

Over a month later, Ste. Marie, age 53, and his wife stopped at Superstop in Lafayette where he regularly purchases his Powerball tickets.  While there, a clerk happened to ask the couple if they played the Lottery because the store sold a $200,000 winning Powerball ticket, which was still unclaimed.

"We went to Baton Rouge for the weekend, but when we got home I went straight to where I saved my ticket and double checked it," explained Ste. Marie.  "I could not believe what I saw!"

Ste. Marie's ticket matched all five white-ball numbers drawn, but missed the red Powerball number to win $200,000. Ironically, the only number Ste. Marie originally thought he matched was the only winning number missing from his ticket.

"Fortunately for me, I matched the Powerball number for the following drawing because if I hadn't, I would have thrown away $200,000," shared Ste. Marie.

Ste. Marie shared that he plans to use his winnings to build a pool in his yard.

He purchased his winning ticket from Superstop on Verot School Road in Lafayette. The store will receive a one-time bonus of $2,000 for selling the winning ticket.

The winning numbers for the April 14 Powerball drawing were 06-14-32-38-52 and the Powerball number was 20.

Ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age. The Lottery encourages anyone who may have a gambling problem or friends and family of anyone with a gambling problem to 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 in the Meet Our Winners section of the Lottery's website.