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January 20, 2015                                          Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Frederick McClendon, of Brooklyn, trusted his instinct and has won the top prize of $7,000,000 on the New York Lottery’s Cash4Life draw game.

McClendon, a retired bus driver of the NYC Transit Authority, bought his ticket on November 24, 2014, the day of the drawing, at MX Wines & Spirits at 616 Halsey Street in Brooklyn.

“I usually play the Powerball or Mega Millions games, but instinct told me to buy a Cash4Life ticket this time,” said McClendon.

McClendon waited until the Thursday after the drawing when he went back to MX Wines & Spirits to check his ticket. He said the store clerk told him that someone bought a top-prize winning Cash4Life ticket at the store. That’s when McClendon decided to check his ticket and realized that he had the winning ticket.

“I checked my ticket right in the store and the store clerk gave me a print out of the results.  That’s when I knew I had won big,” said McClendon. He said that winning a Lottery jackpot prize is “surreal” and that he still is “in shock.”

McClendon claimed his ticket on December 1, 2014 at the Lottery’s Beaver Street Customer Service Center. He chose to receive his prize in one lump sum payment and will receive $4,361,280 after required withholdings.

As for his plans for the money, McClendon said, “We’re at the beginning of a new year, and I just want to take some time to really think about it before making any decisions.”

Frederick is the 160th New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more in 2014.

The New York Lottery contributed $1,048,350,198.80 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout New York City during fiscal year 2013-2014.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.17 billion in fiscal year 2013-2014 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents 15 percent of total state education aid to local school districts.

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education.  It takes into account both a school district’s size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.

About the New York State Gaming Commission

The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all aspects of gaming and gambling activity in the state, including horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering, class III Indian gaming, video lottery terminal facilities at race tracks, the state lottery and charitable gaming.