Massachusetts man who had $3 million winning ticket stolen, plans on helping family, others, after given winnings

DORCHESTER, MA (June 30, 2023) – Paul Little of Lakeville, MA is the winner of a $3 million Mega Millions prize on a ticket he purchased for the multi-state game’s Tuesday, January 17, 2023, drawing.

“I’m pretty excited today because it’s real, with the check in hand,” said Little. “My thanks to all of the people who helped me get to this point. It’s so many people who worked on my behalf to see me here today, and it’s greatly appreciated.”

Little, a diesel mechanic who works on marine engines, said that he plans to continue to work for the time being.

“The first thought is that there’s a lot of things that I’m going to be able to do that I wasn’t able to do in the past, and that’s exciting,” said Little. “What I’m hopeful for is that I utilize this money to not only help my family, but to also help other people. One of the first things I’m going to do is pay the mortgage off on my house.”

Little, who claimed his winnings at Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters in Dorchester, won his prize by matching the first five numbers while playing the Megaplier option. The winning numbers on his lucky Quic Pic ticket were 02-12-18-24-39.

The base cost of a Mega Millions tickets is $2. By playing the Megaplier option for an additional $1, Little was able to triple a $1 million prize into a $3 million prize (before taxes) when the Megaplier number selected for this drawing was three. The Megaplier number can be 2, 3, 4 or 5 and applies to all prizes except the jackpot prize.

Little purchased his ticket at Lakeville Market & Liquors in Lakeville. The store received a $30,000 bonus for its sale of the winning ticket.

Little reportedly had his winning ticket initially stolen. Two people are facing charges and have pled not guilty.