Lottery Jackpot: Farmington Hills Man Wins The 'Big One'

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – It's a dream come true: Charles Embree of Farmington Hills visited a nearby convenience store, where he bought an instant win lottery. When he scanned it to see if he won, he got a strange message.

"The message said to check with the retailer, so I handed my ticket to the clerk," recounted the 68-year-old man. The clerk "scanned it on his terminal. Then he said: 'Charlie, you just won the big one.'"

The scene played out at Bella Vino on West 12 Mile Road in Farmington, where he bought a Fast Cash Jackpot Slot ticket. On Friday, April 27, Embree and his wife, Phylis, claimed their $685,357 jackpot at the Michigan Lottery's headquarters.

Phylis Embree told lottery officials when her husband came home and showed her the ticket, she had to look twice. "I asked him: 'Honey, is this a comma?' because I wasn’t sure I was seeing things correctly."

The couple plan to save their winnings.

"The Lord has been very, very good to us, and this is a nice cushion for our savings," Charles Embree said. "It all feels like a crazy dream."

Image courtesy of the Michigan Lottery