RALEIGH — Stephen Poindexter Jr., of Sophia, won a $2 million prize in the Mega Millions lottery on Friday after purchasing a $5 ticket from H&M Grocery on U.S. 311 South in Sophia, Randolph County, officials with the N.C. Education Lottery said.
The ticket matched all five white balls to win an initial $1 million, which was then doubled by a multiplier, bringing his total winnings to $2 million. The odds of achieving such a win are approximately 1 in 12.6 million.
Poindexter’s ticket was one of two that won a $2 million prize during the Friday drawing, with the other winning ticket purchased in Texas. He claimed his prize at the lottery headquarters, taking home $1,440,201 after federal and state tax withholdings.
The Mega Millions jackpot for that drawing was $266 million, or $120.8 million in cash, with the odds of winning the jackpot set at 1 in 290 million.
Randolph County has received over $29 million from lottery revenues, which support local education projects, including middle school construction.
Poindexter’s win serves as a reminder of the lottery’s impact on local funding for education, though no further details on upcoming Mega Millions drawings were provided.
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