Lottery jackpot still unclaimed

Lottery officials are looking for the winner of the $105 million Mega Millions jackpot who purchased the ticket at a convenience store in Kensington.

Kensington Mart in Montgomery County sold the winning ticket, but the store owners yesterday didn’t know which of their lucky customers might have won the jackpot.

“I don’t know who won. I’m glad for them,” said Krish Divakar, who, with brother-in-law Kiran Keshav, has owned the store near Connecticut Avenue for about a month.

Mr. Divakar’s store will get $25,000 for selling the “quick pick” ticket, on which the numbers are selected by the lottery machine.

The winning numbers from Friday night’s drawing were: 2, 8, 10, 11 and 23. The Mega Ball number was 40.

The winner can go to Kensington Mart or to a Mega Millions pay-off station to begin the process of claiming the prize.

In addition to the grand-prize winner, 22 players matched all five numbers but not the Mega Ball number. They will receive second-place prizes of $175,000 each. The (Baltimore) Sun reported yesterday that a ticket purchased at the OK Tavern in the 2300 block of E. Biddle Street in East Baltimore matched five numbers.

Another 78 players in the 11 states that participate in the Mega Millions lottery each won $5,000 for matching four numbers and the Mega Ball number. Seven of the winners were in Michigan.

About $10 million is ready to be paid out to the next winner in Tuesday night’s drawing.

Lottery officials did not know why the latest winner has not come forward. The winner can take the $105 million in annual payments over 25 years or take a lump sum of $61 million.

This is the third time in less than a year that a resident from the region has won the jackpot.

Earlier this month, retired truck driver J.R. Triplett of Stephens City, Va., won $239 million, the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot. Mr. Triplett and his wife, Peggy, waited 41 days after the Feb. 20 drawing to claim his prize. Mr. Triplett purchased five tickets at the Red Apple Country Store, which is a few miles from his home.

The couple, who have been married for 35 years, said they probably would invest in property and take a vacation. They had a choice of taking 26 annual payments of $9.19 million each before taxes, or a lump sum of $141.5 million.

In July, part-time letter carrier Bernadette Gietka of Dundalk, Md., won the $183 million Mega Millions jackpot. Miss Gietka opted to take her winnings in a $112.8 million cash payout.