$217 Million Jackpot Scored By DoD Worker Couple In VA

A $217 million jackpot has been claimed by a couple in Virginia, both employed by the Department of Defense — and neither have plans to pack in their jobs after the massive win.

The $217 million jackpot’s lucky winners are Dave and Nancy Honeywell of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and both work at the DoD. Dave was on a business trip when he picked up a ticket at the airport, tucking the lucky slip away until the following day.

Honeywell’s $217 million jackpot win on the ticket, purchased at Richmond International Airport’s Lottery Express stations en route to Denver on February 6, had the winning numbers 5, 27, 36, 38, and 41, random digits assembled by the state’s Easy Pick algorithms.

Local news site Hampton Roads explains what happened next, and the unbelievable surprise the couple got when they learned of their $217 million jackpot win:

“While preparing for a meeting in Denver the next morning, David Honeywell checked the winning numbers and immediately called his wife when he saw the ticket matched all five numbers plus the Powerball … The couple chose the one-time cash option payment of about $136 million before taxes.”

When the lucky draw sank in, David called Nancy, who admits she thought at first she was “having a heart attack” upon hearing the good news. And as stated earlier the couple — he a computer scientist and she a project manager — plan to stay at work despite their massive windfall.

However, the site adds that some things will change after the Honeywells’ $217 jackpot win:

“While neither have immediate plans to quit their jobs, David Honeywell told lottery officials that his 13-year-old car with 170,000 miles could soon be history.”

Virginia lottery officials say the $217 million jackpot is the state’s first Powerball win.