Ohio Woman Wins $162M

Hospital worker Rebecca Jemison Tuesday turned in the winning ticket for the $162 million Mega Millions multistate lottery jackpot, dismissing claims from a woman who said she'd had the winning ticket but lost it.

Jemison told a news conference she has been playing the same number combination off and on for two years, including the Friday before the numbers won.

"We're comfortable, given all the scrutiny ... that Ms. Jemison is the legitimate ticket holder," said Ohio lottery directory Dennis G. Kennedy.

Elecia Battle Monday filed a police report saying she lost the ticket last week, prompting a nighttime search by about 30 people with flashlights outside the suburban Cleveland store after a police report Battle filed became public.

If the claim was a lie, police said they may charge Battle with filing a false police report.

Police say they haven't been able to reach Battle or her attorney.

Battle wasn't home today. And her husband, Jimmy, wouldn't comment before getting into a car and driving away. He said his attorney told him to keep quiet. And he added, "I don't want to incriminate myself."

Battle had told police she lost the winning Mega Millions ticket after buying it at a convenience store last week. And her lawyer had said that if someone else came forward with the winning ticket, Battle would make a claim for it.

The Ohio Lottery said the winning ticket was sold at a convenience store in suburban South Euclid, about 15 miles east of Cleveland. The winning ticket was sold to someone who chose the numbers, not someone who let the machine pick.

Battle said her purse fell, spilling its contents in the parking lot.

According to the police report, officers tried to see if Battle showed up on the store's surveillance cameras but the store owner said the cameras were broken.

Battle could try to get a temporary restraining order in court to block the winnings from being paid, but Jemison told reporters she's not concerned.

"Anger, first, not worried at all," she said. "I knew that what I possessed ... I knew the proof I had. It didn't bother me at all.

"I'll let the authorities handle her."

Kennedy said Jemison had chosen the cash option, which was approximately $94 million before taxes and $67.2 million after.

Jemison said she had planned to continue working, even showing up for work on New Year's Day, but didn't think that would be possible now. She and her husband, Sam, did change their New Year's Eve plans, staying in rather than going out.

Battle's lawyer, Sheldon Starke, did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the lottery's announcement. He had said she intended to make a case that the winning ticket was lost property.

"This is a question of lost property, not abandoned property," he said earlier Tuesday. "If there is one type of property that is not presumed to be abandoned, it's money. ... Anyone who finds it is not the owner."

Battle told police that the numbers — 12, 18, 21, 32 and 46 and Mega Ball 49 — represented family birthdays and ages.

Jemison told reporters she had picked the numbers at random.

She said she told her mother even before telling her husband. "Being a mama's girl I wanted to share the news with my mama first," she added. She also talked to an attorney and an accountant.