Someone in Conn. won $254 million in Powerball

(WTNH/AP) - Someone who bought a ticket for Wednesday night's Powerball drawing in Connecticut has won the $254 million jackpot, which is the largest prize ever in state lottery history.

The player matching all five numbers and the Powerball won the $254,200,000 jackpot.

The Connecticut Lottery said that the winning ticket was sold in Fairfield County.

The one ticket with all six winning numbers was sold at a still-undisclosed location in the state, and lottery officials are waiting for the winner to step forward. The jackpot winner can claim a $254 million annuity paid over 29 years or a lump sum of nearly $152 million.

After $37 million is taken out of the $152 million lump sum for federal taxes, and $10 million is taken out in state taxes the winner will take home nearly $103 million.

Al Simon plays the Powerball on a weekly basis, and he bought a ticket for this jackpot. News 8 asked if he was a winner.

"No mam, I am not," says Simon.

The winning ticket holder has 180 days to come forward, and claim the prize.

"We really encourage the winner, reach out to us, security here," says Anne Noble President & CEO of Connecticut Lottery.

The winning numbers were:

12-14-34-39-46

Powerball: 36

Power Play: 4

There were nearly 2.3 million tickets with winning combinations sold nationwide, including about 29,000 in Connecticut.

The prize goes to an estimated $20 million for Saturday.

Tickets that match the first five numbers, but miss the Powerball, win $200,000 each, and there were nineteen of those. They were sold in: Florida(4), Georgia(1), Illinois(3), Massachusetts(1), Maryland(1), Michigan(1), Missouri(1), New Mexico(1), New York(3), Ohio(2) and Wisconsin(1).

There was one Power Play Match 5 winner in Arkansas(1).

Players have until April 30, 2012, to claim their prizes.

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Online: Multi-State Lottery Association