Mesa's newest millionaire Tim Sindel, his wife Donna and his oldest granddaughter Maigan are getting used to seeing themselves on the news and in the paper after Tim's $10.3 million Powerball® jackpot win from the December 22, 2004, drawing. Tim and Donna accepted the prize money at a press conference on Jan 11 with a crowd of Phoenix press, television crews, lottery employees, and friends as their audience.

The sudden fame and fortune doesn't seem to be fazing the retired police officer who plans to invest the money, secure college funds for his grandchildren and continue to live modestly. “The greatest luxury is knowing that my grandchildren are taken care of,” said Tim, who believes that “there is a reason we won this, even if we don't know what it is yet.”

The decision to invest the money was made after meeting with financial advisors and lawyers, who also advised that Tim take the money as a lump sum, or a gross amount of $5.66 million. After state and federal withholding, he receives $3.9 million.

“I really had no idea what this kind of money is; it is beyond what a police officer makes,” Tim told the crowd at the press conference where he accepted the prize. “What really changed me was when we sat down with our investors.”

Initially, Tim was not aware that he was such a big winner. When he went in to cash his ticket at a retailer, he jokingly told the cashier to “give me my millions.” When the cashier was unable to cash the ticket, Tim went to the lottery office without checking the winning amount, figuring it was $1,000 or so. He was in disbelief when the lottery cashier teased him for not knowing that his ticket was worth $10.3 million. Finally convinced of his win, the first thing he did was call his wife to tell her not to work overtime that night.

“At first I thought he was joking, I didn't believe him until I noticed that his voice was shaking,” said Donna.

As part of the Lottery's retailer incentive program, Safeway Store #1567, located at University Drive and North Lindsay Road in Mesa, was recognized for selling the winning ticket. The store received a check of $25,000 at the press conference and hosted a lottery promotion afterwards. The incentive program began in August 2004 and awards stores with cash incentives for sellinga winning Powerball jackpot ticket, a winning Powerball $100,000 ticket, or a winning The Pick™ jackpot ticket.

Lottery Executive Director Katie Pushor said: “It's exciting to have our Powerball jackpot winner in Arizona. And I know how much our retailers and our beneficiaries appreciate our Powerball customers.”

The $10.3 million prize money is part of a $30.9 million jackpot that is being split three-ways with winners from Nebraska and Pennsylvania. Since Arizona joined the Powerball in April 1994, this is the seventh time that Arizona has sold a winning Powerball jackpot ticket. Arizona residents have collected more than $415 million in Powerball jackpots.