Dudley woman wins $200,000 Mega Bucks top prize, plans to buy a home

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. — A Wayne County woman is celebrating a life-changing lottery win after scratching off a $200,000 top prize.

Alina Gonzalez of Dudley bought a $5 Mega Bucks scratch-off ticket Thursday morning from Dudley Food Mart on Fox Drive.

Gonzalez said she could barely believe it when she realized she had won.

She claimed her prize later that day at North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters.

After required state and federal tax withholdings, Gonzalez took home $144,021.

She says she plans to use the money to buy a home.

The Mega Bucks scratch-off game launched this month with five top prizes of $200,000.

Gonzalez claimed the first top prize, leaving four still up for grabs.

The North Carolina Education Lottery says money raised through ticket sales has helped fund education projects across the state.

That includes more than $28 million in grants for a new elementary school in Wayne County.