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Maryland Mega Millions ‘winner’ tight-lipped about ticket

Marlande Wilson after a news conference at her attorney Edward Smith Jr.'s office today.

Marlande Wilson after a news conference at her attorney Edward Smith Jr.’s office today. (William Farrington)

The Baltimore woman who claims to have a winning Mega Millions ticket didn’t say a single word at a bizarre press conference today in which even her own lawyer said he didn’t know if she won or not.

“I can’t say with any certainty that this ticket exists. You never say that it’s so until you’ve seen it with your own eyes,” said lawyer Eddie Smith Jr. appearing at his office with Marlinde Wilson, the McDonald’s worker who claims she’s won the record jackpot.

Wilson, 37, showed up 45 minutes late wearing a snug pink T-shirt and baseball cap emblazoned with a cartoon pig and the words “Sweet Swine.”

Smith — who made no statement but answered questions while his client texted and even chatted on her cell phone — said he hadn’t seen the ticket and didn’t know whether Wilson had double-checked her numbers.

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The single mom of seven was late, he said, because she went to her doctor’s office after suffering from stress since The Post revealed Monday that she’d claim to be a big winner.

“All of this is something she did not want. She went to her doctor’s office because her pressure shot up,” he said.

While doing nothing to answer the key questions in the mystery, Smith took a shot at the media for reporting her story.

“When you deal with a lay person, sometimes you people can be a little overbearing,” he said.

“This needs to stop. There is a certain amount of privacy that this woman is entitled to. I don’t think she wants to seek 15 minutes of fame. I think she wants to go about her business. I think she wants a lifetime of being anonymous,” he said

The lawyer refused to say whether Wilson would go back to work at McDonalds — where she claimed to have hidden the ticket in a safe place – saying only: “Everybody needs work. We’re in a recession.”

The lawyer also deflected questions about the Haitian immigrant’s immigration status.

“The INS obviously keeps records, and whatever statements would be made by her might be misconstrued,” he cryptically replied.

Despite creating even more uncertainty about the case, Smith said he was hopeful of a swift resolution.

“I hope soon. I pray soon. I just walk down a road. I hope to get to the end at some point,” he said.

Wilson has repeatedly claimed to hold a ticket worth $105 million in an after tax, lump sum payment – a one-third share of the record $656 million prize.

She claimed she bought the ticket separately from others she purchased for a workplace pool she was in with 14 McDonald’s colleagues.

The outraged co-workers called her a cheat when she said she won but not with their money, and demanded a share of the loot.