Lottery says rumors of a McDonald's employee winning Mega Millions most likely false
Maryland lottery officials were inundated Monday with hundreds of calls fueled by rumors about the identity of the Baltimore County shopper who will share in the $656 million Mega Millions jackpot.
"Everyone says they know who the winner is," said lottery spokeswoman Carole Everett. "It's their cousin. It's a person who works at their doctor's office. It's the guy up the street who mows the lawn. We're not going to chase gossip."
Lottery officials say they've heard around 15 tall tales associated with the identity of the person who bought the winning ticket for Friday's drawing at a 7-Eleven in Milford Mill.
Several hoaxes have flown across the Internet after Facebook and Twitter users doctored fake winning tickets and posted them online.
But the most persistent rumor, lottery officials say, stemmed from a Monday New York Post article — which was repeated by media outlets across the country — that stated that the Maryland winner was an employee of a McDonald's just down Liberty Road from the 7-Eleven. The newspaper reported that the employee, Mirlande Wilson, 37, of Baltimore's Westport neighborhood, had bought tickets for a pool of co-workers and was fighting with them over whether the "winning" ticket was bought for her alone or for the pool.
Wilson initially told the paper she had won the jackpot but later changed her story: "I don't know if I won. Some of the numbers were familiar. I recognized some of [them]," she reportedly said.
She could not immediately produce the winning ticket but said she would contact lottery officials with it on Monday. As of Monday evening, lottery officials said they had heard from no winner and dismissed Wilson's story as likely nothing more than unsubstantiated gossip.
Wilson's cell phone voice mailbox was full Monday afternoon when The Sun repeatedly tried to contact her.
"We've heard so much gossip," Everett says. "That one just happened to make the newspaper. We do not expect this woman to come in."
The mystery winner has up to 182 days after the drawing to claim the prize, which will be $218.6 million split between the three unknown winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.
Lottery director Stephen Martino said Maryland officials have video of the winning ticket being purchased. However, a differential between the clocks on the ticket distribution system and the video mean officials cannot pinpoint the winning buyer using video alone, he said.
Martino said winners usually claim their jackpots within the first week but can take longer. He said he's seen red-eyed, excited winners report to his offices the morning after the drawing, but also had lawyers call on behalf of clients days later. Most big jackpot winners have remained anonymous, he said. There have been eight Mega Millions winners in Maryland history.
One winner who did go public, Elwood "Bunky" Bartlett, formerly of Dundalk, walked away with $32.6 million after he split a Mega Millions jackpot in 2007. He now says the winners should avoid taking the lump sum and remain anonymous.
"The American people seem to think that just because you win money you're supposed to share it with everyone else," he says. "I have thousands and thousands of emails explaining that thinking process. My favorite came from the person who wrote $34,000 in the subject line, and then included just their name and address. That was it. No explanation, no story. Just $34,000."
Martino said he now worries false reports could cause the real winner to think someone else had won.
"Could there be some truth to one of these rumors? There could be," he says. "But it's really not healthy to get involved with all this speculation."
OMG, the media frenzy/gossip continues! When will it end lol.
No seriously though, the winner should come forward or better yet, wait 3 weeks. I'm just glad that ridiculous Mc. Donalds story is over.
I just feel bad that those pool of people actually thought they won. That lady is wrong with messing with people's emotions. Anyways, now that the focus is off her, they should just relax and be patient for a winner.
The media/internet won't give it a break but I guess that's how it is when someone is a lucky winner of an historical jackpot. That's a lot of pressure.
its a 70 yo lawyer type from new york.
I read that in Maryland you can claim anonymously, so we should never know who the winner is right?, unless they are an idiot
"Everyone says they know who the winner is" Like that info would do them any personal good by passing it on.
Facebook and Twitter users doctored fake winning tickets and posted them online. It's all fun-and-games until someone's home address is tweeted.
an employee of a McDonald's ... ... is probably going to get kicked out of that pool, real soon now. It'd be quite funny if they won soon afterwards.
One winner who did go public, Elwood "Bunky" Bartlett, formerly of Dundalk, walked away with $32.6 million after he split a Mega Millions jackpot in 2007. He now says the winners should avoid taking the lump sum and remain anonymous.
"formerly" of Dundalk ...
Someone around here had a tagline about winners either a) remaining anonymous or b) wishing they had.
Maybe the "alleged winner" skipped town until the heat dies down from the story. She can wait a month or so and slip back into town and claim the ticket anonimously
Given the publicity she has received, I am sure that she has received multiple offers for legal representation. She might be keeping quiet while her legal team strategizes her approach to claiming the winnings.
If in fact she holds the winning ticket, I am not sure what on earth pocessed her to speak with The Post
I don't think she is telling the truth, How could you not know if you have the winning ticket or not. smh!!
"I just feel bad that those pool of people actually thought they won. That lady is wrong with messing with people's emotions"
New York...
Whoever won this is probably counting the days until the wire transfer can be completed and they can disappear out of the country.
The Illinois and Kansas winners must be loving all the crap that is going on in Maryland. No one is even talking about them right now.
That will buy them time, but theres still a lot of noise about a small IL. town being put on the map,
i have to wonder if the kansas one will make an even better story,
last i checked it has not been narrowed down to one county yet.
What if she is not lying but instead is trying to find one of her "relatives" to cash in the ticket so she won't have to share.
Just saw the 656 update. Whoever it is gets a 5 mill doll bonus. Basically a lotto itself.
Perhaps she can have a relative claim the money using an irrevocable trust granting all the winnings to her less the $5MM fee to the grantor for services rendered?
It was a rich white racist republican investment banker from rhode island just passing through baltimore and decided to buy a singe mm qp along with this perrier.
PS it was the first time he's ever played any lottery game. ever.
PPS in reality, he just forclosed on 15 homes in the area, but didn't want to let on that is why he was in the area.
Americans give anyone fame these days, so people will do anything to get their name out there. She might get a Reality show. God, I wish I knew someone in Red Bud and was visiting them at that exact time.
Man I'd love to be one of the winners. I'd be out claiming as soon as I can. With all this hoopla going on nodoby is going to care about one of the other winners claiming via a trust.
What's ridiculous though is that people actually call the office to say they know who the winner is. They probably don't, but even if they did... what help at all is that?
The more I kept hearing this story, the more I kept thinking that the woman was full of bull puckey! Why do people do this stuff. Just to be on tv? Ugh! Sometimes our society makes me
Littleoldlady, I never said she was lying I was agreeing with New York when he said it was wrong to mess with her co-worker emotions even if she does have a relative claim the ticket she also told one of the workers that she would share with the pool once again messing with there emotions.
"I just feel bad that those pool of people actually thought they won. That lady is wrong with messing with people's emotions"
New York...
Her legal "team"
Please...your not serious right? 
Doubt she could afford a side order of McNuggets!
Oh I forgot.....April Fools!!!
will the real slim shady please stand up, that songs make me think of this,
fact is april fools was same weekend it was won on friday
don't think of rumor is real ever during this time.
also i have a feeling it be a week before we see a offical winner.
be it a trust with a laywer, or a public winner, these people are lawyering up
thro we should know all 3 winners by end of 2 weeks
as anyone past that point, is just delaying bank intrest off money, and is their for stupid winners, who does not know or care their losing money
thro i guest people who win 100+ cash, could care less about earning more LOL.
Can someone please explain to me WHY would someone make up a story like this? What is the proper word/name/diagnosis/or whatever that explains why people make things like this up? Crazy just seems like too simple a word to use.
I was making fun of the rumor. Nothing personal. No need to get upset.
Oh sure that's an easy one. The text book definition of this mental condition is commonly referred to as "MEDIA WHORE'.
The only known cure, is for her to get a good dose of ass kicking from her lottery office pool, and this dose should be taken ASAP!
That seems to fit her perfectly! If she is lying then I would personally look the other way if her lottery office pool gave her exactly what it is she is loudly asking for!
I might take some video footage of her receiving a good "dose". I would then sell the righteous flick on E-bay to the highest bidder, and
turn over all the proceeds to the lotto pool for a job well done!
Oh No sweetie, not upset
, I was just letting you know that it would be wrong to mess with people's emotions.... it's all good!!!!!!!
When someone in America come up with a National Raffle game count me in like big time.So many winners per play oh yea.This one winner for all this money is quite stupid in ((((((MY)))))) eyes.I love playing the raffle when Tennessee does it...
Idiots stop tying up the phone lines THE REAL WINNER can't get through! lol
That is a big ditto for me!
1 ticket with 1 winner is the only way to go! In my eyes, only the childish people whine about 1 person winning BIG!
I have played the same way since 1986!
I guess that means you would have been disappointed had you been one of the "three" winners last Friday?
Delusions of Grandeur!!!
What a real Mc<snip>!
Playing with money , is playing with someones' emotion. Thats what big worm from the movie Friday says.
what a real Mca$$hole!
Right!! that is funny!!
I believe the lady at mcdonalds won, however i think she is trying to be greedy and slick and she is trying to find someone else to claim the ticket.
The lottery office just said a differential between the clocks on the ticket distribution system and the video mean officials cannot pinpoint the winning buyer using video alone
Their is a possibility that she won and if the fiance went in the store she can easily say he bought the ticket.
If this lady ends up not having the winning ticket, she may want to seek a different line of work. I doubt anyone at the Mcdonald's that employed her would want her back.
Interesting this is, She may be FLIPPING QUARTER POUNDERS as we write!
She probably issued a mea culpa over caramel sundaes explaining it was a mistake on her part and there was no winning ticket and promised to be more efficient in screwing over trhe lottery pool more effectively when they actually win.
I thought I read somewhere (Maybe it was the post?), that in light of all this she has already been axed from McDonald's?
That would be silly. She could have served as a living, breathing TOURIST ATTRACTION.
I guess someone at her level in the organization would have a morals clause in her contract.
Well hopefully the McDonald Exec's are reading these comments in LP. Maybe they will reverse their decision, and hire her back for that extra
revenue for Maryland tourism. No cooperation wants to lose that that kind of a cash cow$$$!
I would not be surprised, just like I said awhile ago that it will probably be another lottery pool with lawsuits. Anyone who plays in pools are stupid idiots. Everything is fine as long as the pool loses every week. But as soon as they win, then no one wants to know each other anymore.
People are sad and pathetic. I would never play in a pool. Funny though how the greed comes back to bite them and they deserve it. Losing tickets are the group's tickets, winning tickets are always an individual's who forgot he/she was in a pool. 
I also find it humorous how all the news agenices think they can just walk in on your life because you won the lottery. I would tell them that I did not exist before I won and I don't now.
Local DC news---update a minute ago. This Maryland woman is now represented by a big time attorney with Supreme Court credentials. He hinted to expect an announcement tomorrow but said he has not seen the ticket either. Reporters from NY and other places are staked outside her house.
Indulge a simple man if you will, a high caliber attorney is on retainer and has himself not seen the ticket? I think that would be one of the first things required after handshakes, particularly given the meida frenzy surrounding this fiasco!