Navy veteran turns scratch-off ticket into emotional $50K win in Maryland

Navy veteran and retired cop calls prize “a lotta, lotta money” after first second-tier win on Triple Red 777s game

HAMPSTEAD, MD — A Carroll County man says a scratch-off ticket meant more than just luck after he turned a routine lottery stop into a $50,000 win — and credited a sentimental moment involving his late wife for guiding the decision.

Joseph Lombardi of Hampstead claimed the first second-tier prize on the Maryland Lottery’s Triple Red 777s scratch-off game after purchasing the ticket at Main Street Liquors on South Main Street.

Lombardi said the winning moment came after a day of playing Keno with family that didn’t go as planned, prompting him to try his luck with scratch-offs instead.