Winner purchased $26 million jackpot winner in Mount Airy

MOUNT AIRY, Md. - Eric Smith is a day late and $26 million short.    

"I wish it was me last night."
"You didn't play?"
"No."

But someone purchased the lone winner in Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing at the Shell gas station just off Interstate 70 in Mount Airy, and customers there are all abuzz about it.

"You think you could have found a place to spend $26 million?" we asked Roy True, a regular customer.

"I could have done that.  Yes, I could."

While the lucky winner hasn’t come forward yet, the owner of the station, Moynul Mozumder, stands to collect a retailer bonus for selling the ticket.

How much?

Well, he didn’t know, so we contacted the Maryland Lottery for him.

"Do you want to know how much you're going to get?"
"How much?"
"$26,000."
"Wow.  That's a big amount."
 
In fact, Moynul says that’s more than he makes off of lottery ticket sales all year at 5 cents per ticket, plus he expects to sell more tickets once word spreads that he sold a big winner.

At this point, he only has one regret.

"Do you wish you'd bought a ticket?"
"Ahh!  Ha! Ha!"

Don’t worry, Moynul.

You’re not alone.

"I wish I had $26 million dollars," said Ralph Harris of Glen Burnie as he arrived at the station.
"What would you do with it?"
"I don't know, but I'd have a good time doing it."
"Whatever it was?"
"Whatever it is.  I'd be having a good time doing it.  Unbelievable."


*The single winner can elect a cash payout of $19 million.

The winning numbers were 1, 15, 19, 30 and 56 with a Mega Ball number of 28.