Perry Pendleton Finds $100,000 Winning Lottery Ticket After 5 Months in Box

Perry Pendleton from Maybee, Michigan made an incredible discovery when he found a $100,000 winning lottery ticket that had been sitting in a box for nearly five months.

The ticket was from the Michigan Lottery's Super Raffle, a special drawing that offers large cash prizes. Pendleton had apparently bought the ticket and stored it away, not realizing he had won the six-figure prize.

Lottery officials remind players to check their tickets regularly and store them safely. Winners typically have 180 days to one year to claim prizes, depending on the game and state rules.

For tax purposes, lottery winnings over $5,000 are subject to federal tax withholding at 24%. This means Pendleton will likely owe additional taxes on his windfall when he files his return, as the withholding may not cover his full tax liability.

The case highlights how winners can unknowingly possess valuable tickets. Similar stories have emerged across the country, including cases where people nearly threw away winning tickets worth tens of thousands of dollars.