Winning $349M lotto ticket claimed, Cortland mayor says

CORTLAND – After more than a month, a Mega Millions jackpot ticket worth $349 million sold at a Cortland gas station has been claimed, Cortland’s mayor said Wednesday.

Mayor Mark Pietrowski shared the update on his mayoral Facebook page Wednesday morning. He said he’s been asked regularly about the ticket since it was sold in a drawing March 25 at Casey’s General Store, 70 S. Somonauk Road.

“The winners right now still wish to remain anonymous,” Pietrowski said. “The winners mention wanting to do good. It is completely up to them what they want to do with their own winnings. If they decide they want to do something in Cortland, they can always talk to us. If not, that is fine too. Just wishing them the best moving forward.”

It’s not known whether the winners are from the area.

The winning numbers for the drawing were 1-5-17-39-62, plus the gold Mega Ball of 8.

The cash option, as opposed to the annuity, is $161.4 million.

Winners have a year from the draw date to come forward and claim their prize. They can do so anonymously. For selling the winning ticket, the Cortland Casey’s also received a $500,000 cash bonus.

The Illinois Lottery offers tips for newly minted millionaires, including signing the back of their ticket to keep it safe, seeking professional financial and legal advice, and calling the Lottery Player Hotline to arrange a private appointment to claim the prize.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game is coordinated by state lotteries.