Tax Collectors Win $276 Million Lottery

By Pamela Mortimer

Although it's not official just yet, it is believed that eight workers at the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department Tax Office have won the $276 million Powerball Lottery. An announcement regarding the win is set for 2 P.M. Tuesday.

Libby White, a spokeswoman for the Lottery, said the agency has been in contact with the co-workers who are holding the ticket. The winning entry was sold on Thursday at Paula's, a video poker bar in Westover.

There are eleven workers in the tax office but only eight elected to participate in the office pool. The other three are surely kicking themselves now.

On Monday, Lottery Director John Musgrave spoke with Linda Fominko, the office's chief tax deputy, who is one of the co-workers.

"They have sought professional advice and seem to be well prepared," White said.

Roger Magro told the reporters his wife, Crystal, is among the possible winners. Magro said they learned of the news when they were awakened at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

"I just thought, 'You're full of baloney,"' said Magro. "But she was adamant about it."

Crystal Magro will most likely continue working in the tax office, Magro said. On Monday, Magro took the opportunity to resign from his 27 year career as a deputy in the sheriff's department.

"We're not in a hurry to run off anywhere, or do anything in particular," he said.

Tax office officials have confirmed the names of the workers who were involved in the pool: Allecia Priore, Judith Gapen, Amanda Pugh, Andrea Grey, Jessica Dotson, and Paula Pride.

All eight women declined the opportunity to give interviews Monday, instead, they went about their business quietly serving taxpayers under the watchful eyes of the sheriff's deputies..

If the co-workers' ticket is validated, the eight would receive a lump sum payout $139,421,731.44, before taxes. After taxes, the lump sum payout would total $95.5 million, White said.

If the payout is divided equally among the eight winners, each person would end up with a whopping $11,937,985.75.

White also said the ticket holder has 180 days to turn in the ticket but many winners often choose to arrange financial planning before making the claim.

Maria Skidmore, a regional manager for the parent company that owns Paula's, said she plans to advertise the stellar win by putting a big sign in one of the bar's windows.

"We were glad it was in West Virginia," she said.

Paula's will also claim a hefty prize for selling the winning ticket. Approximately 1.5 million tickets were sold in West Virginia for the Saturday drawing. As the winning ticket vendor, Paula's will receive $100,000, said Lottery spokeswoman Nancy Bulla.

Out of the rest of the tickets sold, nearly 2 million players will receive payouts totaling more than $12 million.

Lottery officials said this is the largest win in West Virginia since Jack Whittaker took home $314.9 million in December 2002. It also marks the seventh largest Powerball win in history as well as the seventh time a winning ticket was sold in West Virginia.

The estimated jackpot for Wednesday's drawing is $15 million.