Army sergeant wins Virginia lottery jackpot

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - It was a pleasant surprise for Sergeant First Class Gary Williams when he checked his Virginia lottery tickets and found he won the jackpot!

SFC. Williams, who serves in the U.S. Army as a recruiter, bought his winning ticket for the March 31 drawing of the Cash 5 with EZ Match game at the Woodland Exxon on Richmond Highway in Alexandria. The jackpot was worth $143,553.

Sergeant First Class Gary Williams (Virginia Lottery)

When the Fort Belvoir man checked his tickets the following day and found he had won he had a hard time convincing his son. That’s because it was April Fools’ Day!

"My son thought it was an April Fools’ joke!" he told Lottery officials as he claimed his prize.

Williams said he intends to save his winnings for retirement. His winning numbers were 13-18-35-36-41.