Mass. Disappointment: Lottery Pulls $758M Powerball Switcharoo

WATERTOWN, MA – Sonny Singh arrived at the Handy Variety convenience store at 4 o'clock Thursday morning, eager to grant his first media interview. It was certain to be followed by many, many more. The 39-year-old is the owner of Handy, which, lottery officials had just told the world, sold the $758.7 million winning Powerball ticket for Wednesday's drawing.

Singh was greeted by people giving him thumbs up as they passed by. He was ready to "jump up and down" at the news. Within a few hours, though, his elation turned to disappointment; the Massachusetts State Lottery announced that it had made a big mistake.

"It broke my heart, man," Singh told Patch. While the Handy Convenience Store in Watertown did end up selling a $1 million winning ticket, the record-setting ticket was actually sold on the other side of the state in Chicopee.

Singh said his shop has had $1 million hits before. A $758 million ticket not only would have been historic, it would have netted Handy Variety a pretty payday of $50,000.

"We've never gotten mixed up like this," Singh said.

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The Pride Station & Store on Montgomery Street in Chicopee had actually sold the winning $758.7 million ticket, the Massachusetts State Lottery said Thursday morning – seven hours after announcing the ticket was sold in Watertown. The flub was due to a transcribing error.

"When manually recording the names of the retailers that sold the jackpot winning ticket and the $1 million winning tickets, the information was transcribed incorrectly," Executive Director of the Mass. State Lottery Michael Sweeney said in a statement. "We apologize for the confusion this created and remain thrilled that a jackpot winning ticket and two $1 million winning tickets were sold here in Massachusetts."

Bob Bolduc, the owner of Pride, told reporters he will donate the store's $50,000 bonus to local charities.

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Singh still had to face the cameras, this time with the rug pulled out from under him. One by one, reporters filed into the store to shoot a new story – one with a less triumphant ending. Singh kept smiling; business at the shop must go on.

As Thursday morning rolled on, news crews outside of Handy Variety began to pack up. Singh's business returned to its usual crop of customers. A police officer remained on-scene directing traffic as people trickled in to claim winnings much smaller than the $758 million.

Dan Donabedian, who bought his ticket at Handy Variety, remained in high spirits despite the mix-up.

"I won $4!" he exclaimed as he exited the store. A resident of Watertown for over 20 years, Donabedian was excited his community of 35,000 was "on the map again" for more positive news. Watertown was previously thrust into the national spotlight in 2013 when the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers culminated in a shootout on its streets.

"People shouldn't be disappointed because you have your health, and you have your wealth," Donabedian said. He added that he hopes the prize "goes to a good cause."

Mavis Wanczyk, a native of Southbridge who moved to Springfield when she was 14, has come forward with the winning $758.7 million ticket. The 53-year-old won the largest lottery prize taken home by a single ticket in the history of North America. The largest Powerball prize was a $1.5 billion jackpot last January, but that was split by three winners.

In addition to Handy Variety, there was also a $1 million winning ticket sold at Sandy's Variety on Washington Street in Dorchester. That one is likely less bittersweet.

Photo by Alex Newman (Patch Staff)