Carolina Panthers lottery ticket turns into $200,000 stocking stuffer

WILMINGTON (WWAY) — A Leland man received a Christmas present he couldn’t imagine.

A North Carolina Education Lottery spokesperson said William Jones of Leland found a winning Carolina Panthers ticket worth $200,000 in his stocking.

“My wife bought the ticket for me as a stocking stuffer,” Jones said. “It’s a pretty good Christmas present that’s for sure.”

According to the press release, Jones couldn’t believe his good luck and took the $5 ticket back to the Buy & Go on Ploof Road in Leland to double check.

“The clerk told me I just won $200,000,” Jones said. “I told him, ‘You got to be kidding me.'”

The clerk wasn’t kidding, and Jones claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters.

According to the press release, he took home $138,501 after required state and federal tax withholdings. He plans to use some of the money to pay bills.

Jones won the last of four top prizes of $200,000. With the last prize won, the lottery will begin steps to end the game.

Players can still enter tickets into a second-chance drawing for a grand prize of 20 years of Panthers season tickets.

A spokesperson said ticket sales from games like Carolina Panthers made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $634 million for the state last year.