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RALEIGH – Joseph Bolam of Ahoskie cashed in on a winning $50 scratch-off ticket, bought two more with those earnings, and came out $100,000 richer.

“I bought a $30 and a $20 ticket,” said Bolam. “On the $30 one I didn’t win anything. The $20 one was where I hit the $100,000.”

He bought his $10,000 Loaded scratch-off ticket at the Duck Thru Food Store off N.C. 45 South in Cofield.

“I had to check it with my phone because when I looked at it, I didn’t see that I had actually missed a number,” said Bolam. “I scratched it off and that’s when I saw the $100,000. I didn’t believe it.”

He went straight home after revealing his big win to tell his wife and 17-year-old son.

“I told my wife and she didn’t believe it,” said Bolam. “My son thought it was a fake!”

He has plans to pay off his kids’ cars and some bills.

He claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Thursday of last week. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $70,756. He also cashed in on a separate $10,000,000 Colossal Cash winner of $1,000.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 million per year for education.

In Fiscal Year 2019, education programs in Hertford County received $1,369,768 in lottery funds. Those funds were used to help Pre-Kindergarten students, provided financial aid and college scholarships, helped to pay for transportation and school construction, and for the salaries for non-instructional support staff.