RALEIGH — James Brown, of, Lenoir recently told a store clerk he felt a big win coming and weeks later, he won $500,000 off a $10 scratch-off, the N.C. Education Lottery announced Friday.
[ Nonprofit founder wins lottery, pledges prize to help Charlotte homeless ]
“I told her, ‘One of these days, I’m going to win that big prize,’” Brown recalled. “Two weeks later, I did.”
Brown bought his lucky $10 Double Diamond Cashword ticket from the Shop And Save on Morganton Boulevard Southwest in Lenoir.
“I just thought, ‘I can’t believe I won that much money,’” Brown said.
He called his wife right away to tell her the good news.
“I told her I won, and she said, ‘No, you didn’t,’” Brown laughed.
He took home $357,503 after taxes.
“It came at the right time,” he said.
Brown plans to use the winnings to renovate his house.
A $15 million grant, using money raised by the lottery, helped Caldwell County build the new Granite Falls Middle School, lottery officials said.
VIDEO: Gastonia dad wins lottery, uses winnings to buy family home
This browser does not support the video element.