$19M lottery tix unclaimed

TRENTON - A $19 million New Jersey Lottery prize has gone unclaimed, making it the largest jackpot to be returned to the state in recent memory, officials said.

The owner of a Pick 6 Lotto ticket had a year from last year's April 24 drawing to claim the prize. Since no one has come forward, the money will go back to the state, said lottery spokesman Dominick DeMarco.

The state will receive the cash value of the ticket - a little more than $10 million. Nearly all of the money will be used for education and other state programs, DeMarco said, with the rest going to support special lottery-prize offerings.

"It's always a positive when you've got another Pick 6 winner and their lives change," DeMarco said, but, "whenever there is an unclaimed prize, there's still a lot of good that comes out of it."

The Pick 6 Lotto ticket, with winning numbers 05-24-27-28- 33-37, was sold at a convenience store in Newark. The store got $2,000 for selling the winning ticket. *