MUNFORD, Tenn. (AP) — The latest on a Tennessee couple that claims they won the Powerball (all times local):
11:30 a.m.
Workers celebrated at a Southern California nursing home when word spread that a co-worker had a winning ticket for this week’s $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot.
It didn’t take long before several media outlets reported, based on anonymous sources, that the feel-good tale was a prank by the woman’s son.
A spokesman for Brius Healthcare called news media Thursday to relay the story of a nurse winning a share of the jackpot after owner Shlomo Rechnitz bought tickets for his employees.
Spokesman Josh Nass says he was told the nurse’s son sent her a cellphone picture of a ticket.
But the New York Daily News reports the nurse’s daughter says it was an embarrassing prank. The Los Angeles Times reports the daughter asked to remain anonymous to avoid drawing more attention to her family.
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8:20 a.m.
A couple went on NBC’s “Today” show to claim they have a winning Powerball ticket that was sold in Munford, Tennessee.
John and Lisa Robinson appeared in NBC’s studio on Friday and showed a ticket that had the winning numbers from Wednesday night’s record $1.6 billion drawing. The Associated Press could not immediately verify their claim. There have been other hoax claims in the wake of the world-record jackpot and lottery officials have so far not announced any official winners.
The Tennessee couple live near the store where the winning ticket was bought. They say they will reach out to Tennessee lottery officials later Friday.
They say their lawyer advised them to go on TV first as a way of controlling the story.
John Robinson says he bought the ticket and three others Wednesday night while on the way home.
Two other winning tickets were sold in Chino Hills, California, and Melbourne Beach, Florida.
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(Photo Source: AP)
