MI Man Cashes $1M Powerball Ticket Months After Drawing

A Kent County man cashed in a $1 million Powerball ticket nearly two months after the drawing, according to Michigan Lottery officials.

Michael Vander Lugt, of Wyoming, matched the five white balls – 05-09-35-54-63 – in the Aug. 8 Powerball drawing to win a $1 million prize, according to lottery officials.

He bought the winning ticket at Big Top Market, located at 3630 Clyde Park Avenue Southwest in Wyoming, according to lottery officials.

"I recently stopped at the party store to get a pop but realized when checking out that I didn’t have enough cash on me," Vander Lugt told lottery officials. "Rather than use my card, I handed the cashier a few Powerball tickets from my wallet that I knew I had won at least a few bucks on."

One of the tickets came back with a message to file a claim.

"I recognized the numbers as soon as I saw them and started freaking out," Vander Lugt said. "I can’t believe I had this ticket in my wallet for nearly two months not knowing it was worth $1 million."

With his winnings, Vander Lugt said he plans to pay off his mortgage and invest.