Lawyer for trust claims $457M Powerball ticket

HARRISBURG » A lawyer working for a trust is claiming a $457 million Powerball ticket sold at a Pennsylvania convenience store, leaving state lottery officials with no details about the person or people who will get the money.

A lottery spokesman said Monday the agency had no information on whether the ticket sold at a Speedway in Manheim on March 17 was won by one person or will be split among multiple people.

The ticket was signed by the Emerald Legacy Trust and Blue Bell attorney Andrew Santana. Santana, who also signed the claim form, did not return messages seeking comment.

“This ticket was signed by the trust, and under Pennsylvania’s law, legal entities such as trusts and corporations have always been permitted to file claims here,” said Pennsylvania Lottery spokesman Gary Miller.

He said Santana is the only person to have been in contact with the lottery regarding the jackpot winnings. It usually takes more than a month for the check to be processed.

Miller said the state Right-to-Know Law does not specifically address lottery winners, and the agency is currently reviewing its public disclosure policy.

Privacy issues arose in New Hampshire earlier this year, when the winner of a $560 million Powerball jackpot won a ruling from a judge that let her keep her identity confidential.

The Emerald Legacy Trust chose the $274 million cash option, with an after-tax value of just under $200 million.

The win is the eighth largest in Powerball history, behind the record $1.6 billion set in January 2016. It is the largest prize the Pennsylvania Lottery has ever awarded.

The winning numbers were 22-57-59-60-66, with red Powerball 07.