RICHMOND, Va. -- A Spotsylvania County man is the winner of a $75.6 million Mega Millions prize.
Joe Dennette was one of three ticketholders to split a $227 million Mega Millions jackpot from the May 1 drawing of the multistate game. The other winning tickets were sold in California and Ohio.
Rather than take the full jackpot amount over 26 years, Denette opted to take $47.8 million in cash, lottery officials said Tuesday.
Denette accepted his check at Richmond International Raceway, where he attended a NASCAR race the same day he realized he had won. He bought the ticket at the Joyful Convenience Market near Thornburg. It was the third-largest prize in Virginia Lottery history.
Dennette was laid off from his job with a homebuilding company in January and has been unemployed since.
