At least one of the lucky state IT workers who won the $319 million Mega Millions jackpot has staked a claim to the prize, state lottery officials said today.
“The ticket has been claimed, and once we verify it we’ll choose a date, place and time for a check presentation,” lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman said.
The winner, whom she would not identify by name or gender, arranged to come to lottery headquarters last night after hours, Hapeman said.
Once officials determine the ticket is legitimate, they’ll work with the winners to schedule a news conference, most likely later this week, she said.
Most likely, Hapeman said, they’re huddling with legal and financial wizards to plan how to handle the oodles of cash headed their way.
“Ninety-nine percent of the people coming in winners do it that way these days. Three-hundred and nineteen million is an unimaginable amount of money,” Hapeman said. “Most want a plan before the money enters their hands.”
While state officials agreed on a budget that actually cuts spending for the first time in a decade, the geek squad can expect windfalls of $19.1 million each after taxes, plenty to keep their personal balance sheets in the black for years to come.
Sources told The Post the winners include a 54-year-old man who earned about $75,000 in 2010 and a woman, 41, who earned $85,000. The man did not answer his home phone yesterday, and his father-in-law and neighbors of both said they were in the dark as much as anyone else.
Hapeman said even lottery officials used to touting nine-figure jackpots aren’t immune to the excitement over the eye-popping prize.
“We’re as curious as everyone else,” she said. “I don’t know that you can get accustomed to handing out $319 million.”
Yesterday was the first day winners could have claimed their prize, and the ticket will remain valid for a full year.
Meanwhile, yesterday at Coulson’s News Center on Broadway, owner Steve Hutchins was already counting his bonus for selling the winning number: 22, 24, 31, 52, and 54, and 4 as the Mega ball.
“It’s pretty amazing, I got $10,000,” said Hutchins, whose store is a block from the State Street building where the winners are believed to work.
The 115-year-old newsstand, a storefront adorned with beer and cigarettes ads, is a regular stop for state employees, though Hutchins said he has no clue who won.
“There are so many people coming in and out,” he said.
The largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was $390 million in March 2007, and there have been three others higher than Friday’s prize.
But the most recent winning ticket is the largest jackpot for a single winning ticket in the game’s history, topping one worth $315 million that was sold in California in November 2005.
Once the workers lay claim to their millions, they have 60 days to decide if they’ll take the money in payments over 25 years, or go for the lump-sum option, which would give them $202.9 million before taxes.
After taxes, — 25 percent, or $50.7 million, to Uncle Sam, and 8.97 percent, or $18.2 million, to the state — the workers will split $134 million, or $19.1 million each.
Emanuel Biondi, a union rep with the state Public Employees Federation, said the winners are “all just middle- class folks.”