Washington, D.C
DC man says he’s owed $340 million after incorrect winning Powerball numbers posted
A 60-year-old Washington, D.C., man thought he became an overnight multimillionaire but now he’ll have to argue in court to retrieve the $340 million fortune he says Powerball unlawfully denied him.
John Cheeks’ January 2023 Powerball ticket indicated he’d won $340 million, but when he attempted to redeem the prize, he got denied and told to throw his jackpot “in the trash can,” according to the complaint filed in November 2023.
Cheeks’ suit alleges he was deprived of his winnings due to “unlawful collusion” by Powerball, the Multi-State Lottery Association and Taoti Enterprises — a D.C.-based digital advertising agency that operates the D.C. Lottery website. The named defendants did not honor the posted winning Powerball numbers that matched Cheeks’ lottery ticket, according to the suit.
USA TODAY contacted Powerball, the Multi-State Lottery Association and Taoti Enterprises but did not receive a response.
“This is not merely about numbers on a website; it’s about the reliability of institutions that promise life-changing opportunities, while heavily profiting in the process,” Rick Evans, Cheeks’ attorney, told USA TODAY. “… We intend to collect every penny to which (Cheeks) is entitled to right this wrong.”
How did Cheeks find out he’d won?
Cheeks bought the “winning ticket” Jan. 6, 2023, from a licensed retailer, according to the suit. He told USA TODAY that he chose the ticket’s numbers by using family birthdates. The numbers Cheeks chose were “07-15-23-32-40” with a Powerball number of 2, the suit says.
“All the numbers that I have played are totally common significant related numbers to me and my life,” he said.
The live drawing of the numbers occurred Jan. 7, 2023, but Cheeks said he didn’t rush to check his ticket due to him being “exhausted as hell” from a meeting with his accountant that day. Unbeknownst to Cheeks, the winning numbers on the website that day matched the ticket he’d bought.
When Cheeks checked the D.C. Lottery website the following morning, he saw he’d won the jackpot due to his numbers matching the winning numbers, the suit says.
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes so I turned my laptop off, unplugged it, took it down and started it up again,” Cheeks said. “There were the numbers again, matching my ticket.”
Although Cheeks had possibly won millions, he recalled not being excited, but “exhausted” and “numb.”
With a clear head, Cheeks said he called a friend who told him to take a picture of the winning ticket because “you never know what could go wrong.” Cheeks held off from redeeming the ticket that day so he could wait and meet with advisors beforehand, he said.
Taoti claims posting of Cheeks’ numbers was ‘a mistake’
For the next three days, the D.C. Lottery website showed the winning numbers. By Jan. 10, 2023, the numbers on the website had changed and differed from the ones shown since Jan. 7, according to the suit.
During an administrative hearing May 2, 2023, Taoti claimed that it “accidentally” posted Cheeks’ winning numbers to the D.C. Lottery website Jan. 7, the suit says. The company then said the “mistake” wasn’t removed from the website until Jan. 9.
That the numbers were erroneously posted on the D.C. Lottery site explains why Cheeks’ personal numbers didn’t match the numbers Cheeks saw when he went to a licensed retailer and checked his ticket against what was posted at the Office of Lottery and Gaming claiming center in D.C., the lawsuit says.
More lottery: Powerball winning numbers for Feb. 17 drawing: Jackpot worth over $300 million
While at the claim center, one of the officials told Cheeks to throw the ticket away “in the trash can” and that “we’re not going to pay you for it,” he said.
“I gave the guy a look and said ‘I think I’ll just keep this,’” Cheeks said. “He looked at me and I walked out. That was a very humiliating day.”
Brittany Bailey, the project manager at Taoti, said in court documents that Cheeks’ “attempted scheme” is a way to capitalize on an “obvious error” on the D.C. Lottery website. Rather than posting random numbers on a “test website” by Taoti, as intended, they were mistakenly posted Jan. 6 on the D.C. Lottery Website, she said.
“First, any ordinary person knows that winning lottery numbers are not posted or advertised in advance; they cannot be because they have not been drawn yet,” Bailey said in the court filings. “Second, the list of numbers posted did not include a Powerball number, but simply a blank red ball. These red flags would cause any reasonable person to know that they were not the valid winning numbers for the following day.”
The test numbers posted on Jan. 6 remained on the D.C. Lottery website even after the correct numbers were posted, Bailey said. When Taoti employees saw the test numbers, they realized the error and took them down, she said.
What did Cheeks do with the Powerball ticket?
Cheeks’ Powerball ticket is currently in a safe deposit box, he said.
If Cheeks is granted the money, he said he’ll open up a bank like Homestead and HomeTrust that would help people who normally wouldn’t qualify for a home mortgage.
“We’re going to build (and) rehab homes from D.C., to Maryland, Virginia and any other place that we’re needed to help solve the homeownership crisis,” Cheeks said.
The Powerball jackpot grew to $754.6 million before a ticketholder in Washington state claimed the prize on Feb. 6, 2023.
Evans said the D.C. Lottery and Powerball are aggressively marketing to consumers in D.C. and others on a national and international stage. The companies’ failure to make a public service announcement once they realized the game was compromised only led to them selling more tickets and “generating an enormous amount of revenue,” he said.
“As the pot grows, more people play and DC and Powerball make tremendous amounts of money on those ticket sales,” Evans said. “… This lawsuit raises critical questions about the integrity and accountability of lottery operations and the safeguards—or lack thereof—against the type of errors that Powerball and the DC Lottery contend occurred in this case.”
Due to the D.C. Lottery and Powerball’s “alleged error,” Evans said Cheeks should be paid out the winnings because precedent exists of them paying declared winners when a similar situation occurred in Iowa.
Iowa lottery officials blamed an unspecified “human reporting error” in November 2013 after posting the wrong Powerball numbers, which remained on its website for more than six hours. Anyone who cashed in their winning tickets was still able to claim their prizes, which ranged from $4 to $200, the Associated Press reported.
Washington, D.C. (7News) — Rosselli is the newest restaurant to open in DC.
Bringing in classic Italian flavors, Chef Carlos explained how he hopes his food is a unique addition to the Italian food scene in the DMV.
Chef also demoed a signature dish with Brian and Megan.
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You can learn more and book your table here.
Washington, D.C
DC Navy Yard shooting: What happened in Washington? ‘Targeted attack’ feared as scary visuals emerge
A shooting reportedly took place in Washington DC’s Navy Yard on Thursday, and visuals from the scene were shared online. Independent journalist Nick Sortor shared a clip saying “Heavily armed US Capitol Police officers are RACING to a reported shooting in the vicinity of a high-ranking US government official in Washington, DC’s Navy Yard.”
Sortor noted that US Capitol Police were rushing to the scene. He noted that the black SUV seen in the clip was an armored Chevrolet Suburban which was used by members of the Congress and members of the President’s cabinet. Sortor further reported that it was ‘unclear’ if the attack was targeted.
The alleged shooter is reportedly not in custody yet and police are searching the area. “I personally witnessed that official be EXTRACTED via undercover Capitol Police officers, protected by uniformed officers carrying long rifles. I will not name the official without their express permission, as I don’t want to dox their home. Other officers can be seen sweeping the area for evidence like shell casings,” Sortor further said.
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The DC Police Department and the US Capitol Police are yet to comment on the matter.
Navy Yard shooting: Reactions and fears
Several people wondered about the politicians who live in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Grok, the AI chatbot, helped out, saying “Publicly reported ones include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—she’s been living in a Navy Yard apartment for years. The area’s also drawn younger congressional staffers and some Trump admin folks in the past for the modern housing near the river. Can’t list “all” though—most officials’ exact homes aren’t public for obvious security reasons.”
It added “No, no current Trump cabinet members are publicly reported as living in DC’s Navy Yard neighborhood. Several senior officials (SecState Marco Rubio, SecDef Pete Hegseth, AG Pam Bondi, ex-DHS Sec Kristi Noem) have moved into secure military housing at Fort McNair or Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling for safety. Noem previously rented in Navy Yard but relocated. Exact private residences aren’t public record.”
To be sure, the name of the official has not been released yet, so Grok’s answers are only guesses based on public record or past information. One wild claim was made on X that the shooting ‘targeted Donald Trump’. However, this came from an unverified profile and no corroboration was provided. President Trump is not publicly known to be in the Navy Yard area, rather remaining in the White House when he is in Washington.
The news of the DC Navy Yard shooting comes days after a takeover by a teen mob. The unruly incident saw four teenagers charged with disorderly conduct, reports on April 12 noted.
President Donald Trump’s design for the Triumphal Arch he wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital moved a step forward Thursday after a key agency reviewed the proposal for the first time. One commissioner suggested changes, including losing the Lady Liberty-like statue and pair of eagles that would sit on top of the arch and add to its height.
The arch is one of several projects that the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his lasting imprint on Washington.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts voted to approve the concept design for the arch. Its members, all appointed by Trump, will review an updated design before taking a final vote at a future meeting.
Trump said last week on social media that the arch “will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World” and a “wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!”
President Trump proposed the installation of a large arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge, on the D.C.-Virginia border. “Something’s supposed to be here,” he said he’s been told. News4’s Joseph Olmo reports.
The commission also approved design concepts for two other projects: Trump’s plan to paint the gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is next to the White House, white, and construction of an underground center to conduct security screenings of tourists and other guests. It will review updated designs for both at a future meeting.
Triumphal Arch
The arch would stand 250 feet tall (76 meters) from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure atop the structure. That figure would be flanked up top by two eagles and guarded at the base by four lions — all gilded. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument.
The commission’s vice chairman, architect James McCrery II, said he preferred the arch without the figure and eagles on top. McCrery also objected to the lions on the base.
The arch would be built on a human-made island managed by the National Park Service on the Virginia side of the Potomac River at the end of Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet (30 meters) tall, and be close to half the height of the Washington Monument, an obelisk that is about 555 feet (169 meters) tall.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the arch’s 250-foot height will honor America’s 250 years of existence.
A group of veterans and a historian has sued in federal court to block construction on the grounds that the arch would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other reasons.
Underground screening center for White House visitors
The U.S. Secret Service, Interior Department, National Park Service, and the Executive Office of the President want to start construction in August on a 33,000-square-foot (3,066-square-meter) center to screen tourists and other visitors to the White House.
It would be built beneath Sherman Park, federal land southwest of the White House, to provide a more secure place to screen those going on White House tours or attending events. The new facility would have seven lanes to ease processing and reduce wait times.
Officials want it operating by July 2028, six months before Trump’s term ends.
Eisenhower Executive Office Building paint job
Trump said the Executive Office Building is beautiful, but he does not like its gray exterior.
“It’s one of the most beautiful buildings anywhere in Washington,” Trump said in August. “I think it’s just incredible, but you have to get past the color because the stone they used was a really bad color.”
Two proposals were given to the commission: Cover the entire building in bright white or paint most of it white while leaving untouched the granite on the exposed basement and subbasement.
In written materials, the White House said the building has been largely neglected since its construction. It said the building’s color, design and massing do not “align visually with the surrounding architecture” and lack ”any symbolic cohesion with the White House.”
The paint job is also the subject of litigation in federal court.
The building sits across a driveway from the West Wing. It was completed in 1888 after 17 years of construction, and its granite, slate, and cast iron exterior makes it one of America’s best examples of the French Second Empire style of architecture.
It originally housed the departments of State, War and Navy. It currently houses offices for the vice president and the National Security Council, among others.
The building is a National Historic Landmark and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Memorial to honor late Secret Service agent Clint Hill in the works
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