Thursday, January 28, 2010

BETHLEHEM MAN WITH THE POWERBALL

A claim has been made on a $200,000 winning Powerball ticket sold at a Bethlehem market Saturday.

Pennsylvania Lottery officials today identified the winning ticket-holder as Confesor Rivera of Bethlehem.

Rivera purchased the ticket at Roslyn Grocery at 725 Broadway in the city.

Lottery officials have validated the ticket and will pay out the prize in four to six weeks, said state lottery spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis.

Rivera will have to pay 25 percent in federal taxes on the prize, or $50,000. Pennsylvania and local taxes aren't levied on lottery winnings, Alvanitakis said, but winnings are required to be reported as income.

Market owner Juan Santana said Rivera is a regular customer who plays the lottery a couple of times a day. He didn't know he had won until he stopped in the shop two days ago and checked the winning numbers, Santana said.

"He looked at the numbers and said 'I can't believe it. I can't believe it,'" Santana said. "I put it in the computer and said 'Yeah, you won.'"

Santana said Rivera is in his 50s and his granddaughter goes to school with Santana's child.

"He's really happy right now," Santana said. "He's a good person, a nice person."

Source: www.lehighvalleylive.com

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