A lottery player in Massachusetts won the $6.13 million jackpot prize during the Megabucks drawing on Monday night — the largest lottery prize won so far this year.

The winning numbers for the Megabucks drawing held on Jan. 27 were 17, 22, 23, 36, 37 and 44.

Someone won the $6.13 million jackpot after their ticket matched all five numbers drawn. They bought their winning ticket at a package store called Rockland Liquors in Rockland.

Megabucks drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9 p.m. Players must select five numbers between 1-44 for their ticket, and each ticket costs $2.

Additionally, there was one $200,000 prize and two $100,000 lottery prizes claimed on Monday.

The $200,000 prize was from the “Lucky 13″ scratch ticket game, and the winning ticket was sold at Wilbur Liquors in Somerset.

Both of the $100,000 prizes were from the scratch ticket game “Diamond Deluxe.” One of the winning ticket was sold at Sunny’s Convenience in Taunton, while the other was sold at Rock and Smoke Shop in Worcester.

Overall, at least 777 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Monday, including 19 in Springfield, 24 in Worcester and 68 in Boston.

The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

Recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations to detain undocumented immigrants across the country, including in Boston, have renewed in Massachusetts the debate over what are known as ICE detainers.

A pair of state legislators have filed a bill that would give local law enforcement the power to hold undocumented immigrants for up to 36 hours beyond their standard release from custody, saying it would reduce the likelihood of ICE operations in communities and the arrests happen at prisons and courts instead.

State Rep. Michael Soter, R-Bellingham, a co-sponsor of the bill, said it would take away a lot of the “visual and the fear of” ICE operations, while only apply to “criminals that are here illegally.”

In 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that local and state law enforcement cannot hold a person to comply with ICE requests — legal precedent Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott referred to after ICE complained that his office ignored a 2023 request to hold a Haitian national whom they arrested in Boston last week.

“We cannot violate a person’s due process by holding them beyond their legally stipulated term of confinement. We comply fully, within our authority. We remain willing to communicate with ICE and we appreciate the work of all law enforcement to keep our communities safe,” McDermott said in a statement, noting that his office had notified ICE about the man, but no one had picked him up.

As President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda takes shape, many in Massachusetts are concerned about the future while others are applauding the changes.

Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis supports the ICE detainer bill.

“As sheriff I raised my right hand and took the oath of office to protect my community and I think this is a tool I would like to have to help protect my community,” he said.

Evangelidis said he’s seen ICE detainer requests spike in the last three years, with the influx of migrant families to Massachusetts.

“We’ve noticed that our detainers that have been launched here have tripled from say 2021 to last year, so I thought this problem is getting more acute and I’m starting to see more and more people walk out. So I thought, ‘Do we need to close this loophole?’” he said.

But attorney Leah Hastings, at Prisoner’s Legal Services of Massachusetts, said local law enforcement already communicates with ICE and does not need to help further, as “another arm of ICE, doing the work of ICE for ICE while being paid by Massachusetts taxpayers.”

We’re going to the experts to answer common questions about immigration.

Hastings noted that those released from custody by judges are deemed safe enough to do so, as happens for everyone processed by the criminal justice system.

“It isn’t a question of whether they pose any danger to the community, it’s only a question of whether ICE is able to deport them,” she said.

NBC10 Boston reached out to Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrae Joy Campbell to ask for comment on the proposal.

A convicted murderer who beat his pregnant wife to death in front of her 5-year-old boy was one of the illegal immigrants grabbed by ICE in the Boston area sweep last week.

The Dominican national was paroled in December while serving just 17 years of a life sentence, according to the Massachusetts Parole Board.

The Parole Board ruled that Cesar Polanco, 59, of Lawrence, should be set free because, they wrote, “Mr. Polanco’s adjustment has been positive” and he “expressed remorse for his actions and reminded the Board that he called the police himself” after beating his wife to death.

The “facts of the case” state Polanco hit his wife so violently in front of the young child that she “sustained massive facial injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.” She was one month pregnant, the board added.

Still, he was paroled Dec. 4 on a “home plan.”

That plan states, in part, that “Mr. Polanco has a significant support system in the United States and Dominican Republic. The Board considered the support of Mr. Polanco’s sister, daughter, and friend,” the Parole Board added before they “approved” his release where he had to abstain from drugs and alcohol.

The Herald has not received a response from the Parole Board yet. His two-page parole report states in brief “ICE detainer.” It is not clear if ICE was or was not contacted. The Herald has also put out a call to ICE.

Media reports state Polanco was living in Boston when immigration agents tracked him down last week.

He had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of his 25-year-old wife in 2007 and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. His first attempt at parole was denied in 2021, but in the second attempt he was represented by a Harvard PLAP student attorney “under the supervision” of another attorney, the board wrote.

The Harvard PLAP program is a Prison Legal Assistance Project that helps second-degree murder convicts seek their freedom.

The PLAP mission statement includes: “At PLAP, our mission is to empower people incarcerated in Massachusetts; to train law students in client-based advocacy and instill in them a commitment to public interest and social justice; and to participate in conversations about incarceration and engage in efforts to promote the rights of incarcerated people.”

The Herald was told to “call back tomorrow” to contact the Harvard PLAP supervising attorneys. An email was also sent to them asking how they deal with ICE, or don’t deal with immigration officers.

The Parole Board summary of the slaying added that Polanco, 41 at the time, argued with his wife over “going out to drink” on the night of Oct. 26, 2006. They lived in an apartment in Lawrence with their 16-month-old daughter and a 5-year-old boy from her “previous relationship” when the “argument turned physical.”

That’s when he admitted he “beat (redacted) to death.” The board added, “the son witnessed Mr. Polance beating his mother.”

The Essex DA’s office was at the parole hearing “in opposition.” The Herald has put in a call to that office.

The Herald has also reached out to Gov. Maura Healey’s press contact for comment.

Developing … 

Originally Published: January 27, 2025 at 12:18 PM EST