Attorney Turns in Ticket for Powerball Winners
The lawyer for 13 lucky Ohio machinists and assembly workers claimed their $161.5-million Powerball prize Friday, handing the winning ticket to lottery officials to spare his clients the glare of the media spotlight.
The multi-state Powerball offered a record $295.7-million jackpot in last month’s drawing.
The winners decided to take the $161.5-million lump-sum payment option instead of the higher figure paid over a period of years.
“It’s been quite a zoo for this past week, but the nice part of it is, I’ve taken that heat. It’s easier for me to take the heat than it is the 13 of them,” said attorney Larry Sturtz after being escorted by private security guards to Indianapolis from his home in a Columbus, Ohio, suburb.
After giving the winning ticket to Hoosier Lottery officials, Sturtz said his largely anonymous clients were shunning publicity because they want to keep their lives as normal as possible.
The machinists, who call themselves the “Lucky 13,” work for Automation Tooling System, a Canadian-owned assembly systems plant in Westerville, Ohio.
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