Powerball winner Pedro Quezada’s wife thanks God for $338 million jackpot; IRS thanks him for half

The wife of Powerball winner, Pedro Quezada, a Dominican immigrant, has thanked God for the $338 million jackpot.

Meanwhile, the IRS will be thanking Quezada for half.

The winning Powerball ticket has an after-tax value of $151,921,000, Bloomberg wrote.

Quezada, 44, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was told he won the jackpot — the fourth-biggest ever — when he walked into the Eagle Liquors in Passaic, New Jersey, to check his ticket on Monday, the New York Daily News reported.

Powerball spokeswoman Carole Hedinger, speaking at the agency’s headquarters in Lawrence Township, confirmed that the ticket was sold at Eagle Liquors.

The numbers drawn Saturday were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31.

A lump sum payout would be $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes.

The Christian Science Monitor talked to neighbors of the family, who live in an apartment block that abuts a highway in Passaic.

Eladia Vazquez described Quezada and his wife as "quiet and not overly talkative."

"This is super for all of us on this block. They deserve it because they are hardworking people."

Quezada was followed down to the store by media when he went to claim his win, and — to cheers — called his wife, saying:

"I'm the millionaire, Ines, put on the TV so you can see me, or come down to the liquor store right now."

Asked what he would do with (what's left of) his winnings, Quezada said he would take care of his health and his family.

"I'm going to help a lot of people, whatever they need."