Washington, D.C

Washington DC Powerball player sues for $320million windfall claiming he was unfairly denied prize money despite having numbers shown on website because they didn’t match what was drawn on TV

Published

2 years ago

February 19, 2024

Washington DC Powerball player sues for 0million windfall claiming he was unfairly denied prize money despite having numbers shown on website because they didn’t match what was drawn on TV

A Washington, D.C., man has sued Powerball for $340million after he claimed he was unfairly denied prize money despite having the winning numbers that were displayed on the website.

John Cheeks purchased a Powerball ticket on January 6, 2023, and chose his numbers based on his family members’ birthdays.

He missed watching the live drawing the following day, but discovered on January 8 that his numbers matched what he found on the D.C. lottery website and saw the whopping $320million prize.

‘I got a little excited, but I didn’t shout, I didn’t scream. I just politely called a friend. I took a picture as he recommended, and that was it. I went to sleep,’ Cheeks told News4.

He soon realized the numbers on the website and ticket did not match the numbers that were drawn on TV, even though his numbers were displayed online for three days, the lawsuit claimed.

According to the filing, the lottery contractor, Taoti Enterprises, made a ‘mistake’ and posted the wrong winning numbers on the website.

John Cheeks has filed a lawsuit against Powerball after he thought he won a $320million jackpot in January 2023

Cheeks said he checked his numbers on the D.C. Lottery website on January 8 (pictured), when he discovered that his numbers matched for the $320million prize

Cheeks’ lawsuit has requested that Powerball pay him the winnings from the ticket he thought he held, plus an additional $72,000 per day of interest payments ‘due for failure to pay.’

The amount equals roughly $340million.

Cheeks said he didn’t rush to claim his prize as he was busy with his job. He is working on creating a home trust bank that would provide individuals with loans who don’t qualify for traditional mortgages.

‘The crisis of the homeownership situation here in the District, Virginia and Maryland,’ he said.

‘Tent cities over at the State Department. Tent cities at Union Station.’

According to the legal documents, Cheeks discovered his fortune was threatened after he went to a licensed lottery retailer and his prize was denied.

He then moved on to the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming prize center, where he received another denial and a request from a claims officer.

Cheeks said the officer told him his ticket was not valid and that he should ‘just throw it in the trash can.’

‘And I gave him a stern look. I said, “In the trash can?”‘ He then recalled the officer confirmed that he should throw the ticket away and said: ‘You’re not gonna get paid.’

Cheeks said he chose his numbers based off of family members’ birthdays. The physical lottery ticket that he bought on January 6 is seen along with a denial when he checked his numbers

He soon realized the numbers on the website and ticket did not match the numbers that were drawn on TV, even though his numbers were displayed online for three days

Cheeks was told that he should throw the ticket out, but instead, he kept it and hired his lawyer, Richard Evans (pictured)

Against the officer’s orders, Cheeks kept the ticket and stored it in a safe deposit box before he reached out to a lawyer for help.

‘They have said that one of their contractors made a mistake. I haven’t seen the evidence to support that yet,’ Cheek’s lawyer, Richard Evans, told News4.

‘Even if a mistake was made, the question becomes: “What do you do about that?”‘ he said, before adding a similar case occurred in Iowa, and that the contractor paid the winnings out to the plaintiff.

DailyMail.com contacted Powerball and Taoti Enterprises but did not hear back.

Taoti Enterprises previously replied to News4 request for comment and said that a response would be coming. The other organizations told the outlet that they cannot comment on ongoing lawsuits.

The jackpot that Cheeks thought was his eventually grew to $754.6million and a ticketholder won the prize on February 6.

According to U.S. News, the odds of winning the Powerball is about one in 292.2million, and the chances of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is about one in 302.6million.

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Washington, D.C

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

Published

13 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

TNND — A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.

You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.

Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”

Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.

“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.

Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.

While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.

My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”

According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.

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Washington, D.C

National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.

The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.

Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.

Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.

After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.

Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.

Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.

“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”

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Washington, D.C

READ: Report accuses DC Police Chief Pamela Smith of ‘fear, intimidation, threats’

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

READ: Report accuses DC Police Chief Pamela Smith of ‘fear, intimidation, threats’

WASHINGTON (7News) — Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith is facing yet another scathing report accusing her of manipulating crime data in the city.

The 22-page document from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform comes less than a week after a separate draft report from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and days after Chief Smith turned in her resignation.

The main difference between the Congressional report and the DOJ report is that this new one, released on December 14, contains transcribed interviews directly with commanders from all seven MPD patrol districts.

RELATED | DC Police settles with former employee over claims that crime numbers were manipulated

The testimony reveals how Chief Smith chastised and, in some cases, publicly humiliated staff in crime briefings.

“The Committee’s investigation heard consistent testimony about frustration and exhaustion among MPD commanders and the manifestation of a culture of fear, intimidation, threats, and retaliation by Chief Smith. Often, these manifestations were triggered whenever the Chief was presented with what she considers ‘bad news,’ particularly when that news pertained to any rise in public crime statistics. Chief Smith, according to testimonies, regularly took action against her subordinates who failed to aid in the preservation of her public image,” the report states on page two.

RELATED | Trump announces probe into DC police for inflating crime stats amid safety claims

The committee launched the investigation in August when whistleblowers came forward with concerns about data manipulation.

One line of questioning in the report states:

Question: Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?

Answer: Yes, I mean extreme… there’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration or regime, and you know, that has manifested publicly.

7News reached out to Mayor Bowser’s Office for a comment in response to the report. A spokesperson provided the following statement:

The men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department run towards danger every day to reduce homicides, carjackings, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and more. The precipitous decline in crime in our city is attributable to their hard work and dedication and Chief Smith’s leadership.

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I thank Chief Smith for her commitment to the safety of D.C. residents and for holding the Metropolitan Police Department to an exacting standard, and I expect no less from our next Chief of Police.

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