Facebook Photo Claiming to Show $1 Million Vincennes Powerball Ticket is Hoax
By: Michael C. Fehn
Updated: November 29, 2012
UPDATE: Hold the phone! Eyewitness News is learning more about a photo that popped up on Facebook Thursday, claiming to be the one million dollar Powerball ticket from Vincennes.
After alerting our sister station in Terre Haute to the photo, we've learned that their staff has been in contact with Louie Campbell, the man who's Facebook page the photo appeared on. Campbell tells them the photo is a hoax.
He also tells an Eyewitness News source, who just got off the phone with him, that he never expected this "joke" to go so far.
Campbell has said he plans to talk to the media on Friday, explaining how the whole thing happened.
Our story on Campbell's original claim is below.
PREVIOUSLY: Someone on Facebook is claiming to hold the $1 million Powerball ticket purchased in Vincennes. And a photo tends to back it up.
The ticket, which matched all of the numbers expect for the Powerball, was purchased at United PSM in Vincennes.
The picture was posted on the Facebook page of Louie Campbell, (left) and shows him and another man, tagged as Frankie Frye (right), posing with the supposed winning ticket. The caption under the photo reads: "Pic of us holding a piece of destiny."
In the photo, you can see the numbers 5, 16, 22, 23 and 29, which, in fact, were the first five numbers drawn in Wednesday's game. However, the ticket held by Campbell and Frye, shows a Powerball of 35. The actual Powerball drawn was 6. But, matching those first five numbers, still draws a million dollar prize, once the claim is verified.
According to Campbell's Facebook profile, he lives in Lawrenceville, Illinois, and is the owner and president of Campbell's Distributing Inc., which operates in Vincennes. According to Frye's profile, he also lives in Lawrenceville.
A second $1 million dollar ticket was sold in Highland, Indiana. The owner of that ticket has already come forward. Larry Chandler says he plans to use the money to help his mother, start a college fund for his daughter, and take his girlfriend to Red Lobster.
Kentucky is also home to a million dollar ticket. That ticket was sold in Prospect, near Louisville.
The big winners, however, were in Arizona and Missouri. They will split the nearly 600 million dollar jackpot.
After alerting our sister station in Terre Haute to the photo, we've learned that their staff has been in contact with Louie Campbell, the man who's Facebook page the photo appeared on. Campbell tells them the photo is a hoax.
He also tells an Eyewitness News source, who just got off the phone with him, that he never expected this "joke" to go so far.
Campbell has said he plans to talk to the media on Friday, explaining how the whole thing happened.
Our story on Campbell's original claim is below.
PREVIOUSLY: Someone on Facebook is claiming to hold the $1 million Powerball ticket purchased in Vincennes. And a photo tends to back it up.
The ticket, which matched all of the numbers expect for the Powerball, was purchased at United PSM in Vincennes.
The picture was posted on the Facebook page of Louie Campbell, (left) and shows him and another man, tagged as Frankie Frye (right), posing with the supposed winning ticket. The caption under the photo reads: "Pic of us holding a piece of destiny."
In the photo, you can see the numbers 5, 16, 22, 23 and 29, which, in fact, were the first five numbers drawn in Wednesday's game. However, the ticket held by Campbell and Frye, shows a Powerball of 35. The actual Powerball drawn was 6. But, matching those first five numbers, still draws a million dollar prize, once the claim is verified.
According to Campbell's Facebook profile, he lives in Lawrenceville, Illinois, and is the owner and president of Campbell's Distributing Inc., which operates in Vincennes. According to Frye's profile, he also lives in Lawrenceville.
A second $1 million dollar ticket was sold in Highland, Indiana. The owner of that ticket has already come forward. Larry Chandler says he plans to use the money to help his mother, start a college fund for his daughter, and take his girlfriend to Red Lobster.
Kentucky is also home to a million dollar ticket. That ticket was sold in Prospect, near Louisville.
The big winners, however, were in Arizona and Missouri. They will split the nearly 600 million dollar jackpot.
