After the initial rush of excitement that comes with becoming a lottery winner, one Orange County man started to get worried this fall. He was worried because hadn’t received his prize yet.
Per the California Lottery, winners’ checks should arrive six to eight weeks after they win. That’s not what happened for Jerry Heath of Orange County. When nine weeks rolled by and he still hadn’t received his payment, Heath reached out to ABC7 Eyewitness News.
“The process is really horrible for a winner of a big... any big lotto winnings,” said the regular lottery player in late October. “They won’t tell you by this date, you’ll get the funds. They won’t tell you that. They leave it open-ended so you’re sitting, waiting daily... (hoping you’re going to get these funds.)”
Heath purchased his ticket Aug. 19 at a Ralphs store and won a $44 million Powerball jackpot. Since he chose to take the lump sum option rather than multiple payments, his winnings were actually $17 million.
“I’m a very fortunate human being,” Heath – who plans to share the winnings with his daughter and grandchildren – told the California Lottery, according to a press release. He said that he had a low-income upbringing and that playing the lottery is his “only luxury.”
It’s a luxury that also helps fund one of Heath’s favorite causes, public education. He’s a graduate of CSU Long Beach (formerly Long Beach State College) and served as a detective for the Long Beach Police Department following six years in the U.S. Army, Heath told the California Lottery.
A former boss of Heath’s said the win “couldn’t have happened to a better person.”
Lottery officials would not comment directly on Heath’s case when contacted by ABC7. However, it did explain that every winner goes through a vetting process.
“That includes an investigation by their law enforcement team and cross checking the alleged winner doesn't owe the state any money in taxes or child support,” said the outlet. Carolyn Becker of the California Lottery said they process around 10,000 claims every month.
In a Nov. 24 follow-up article, ABC 7 revealed that Heath had received his winnings about two weeks prior. Ultimately, it took 12 weeks for him to get the payment.
“I felt great but I was so stressed about it,” he said. “I am thankful. I am going to be a millionaire for the rest of my life.”
So far, Heath has paid off his home and made some improvements to it. He’s also invested some of the funds and shared it with family, as he intended. While he’s happy to finally have the prize, Heath said he hopes others don’t have to wait as long as he did.