Lucky Man Has Winning Lottery Ticket Returned By A Good Samaritan

New Jersey Lottery
Jacqueline Larma
Jacqueline Larma

In New Jersey, a man named Mike Weirsky is the winner of the $273 million lottery jackpot. However, he might have never claimed the jackpot if it wasn't for the kindness of a stranger. Weirsky, who is recently divorced and currently unemployed, purchased lottery tickets at a QuickChek supermarket when he left the tickets behind after being distracted by his cell phone.

Before the drawing, Weirsky claims he looked for his tickets for hour before finally calling the QuickChek and learning that somebody had returned the tickets to the cashier. Once he got his ticket information back he checked his number only to discover that he was the winner of the $273 million. After spending $20 a week on tickets for several years, he couldn't believe that he had finally won something worth more than just $2.

Weirsky explained "I'm just very thankful that there's an honest person out there, because I figured it was gone." The person who turned in the ticket was a store clerk named Phil Campolo who claims "My parents raised me to be a good person, honest, sincere. I was doing the right thing, and I'd do it again."

James Carey, the director of the New Jersey Lottery claims that it's a good thing that Campolo returned the ticket because he could have used it to collect the winnings himself. Currently, Weirsky has plans to buy a new car, renovate his home, and take his family on vacation.