Maryland man's second lottery jackpot is twice the size of his first

June 18 (UPI) -- A Maryland man who collected a $25,000 lottery prize several years ago won double that amount with a scratch-off ticket.

James Blanchette, 74, of Westminster, visited Maryland Lottery headquarters to collect a $50,000 top prize from a $50,000 Diamonds scratch-off ticket he bought from Jiffy Mart in Westminster while picking up a newspaper for his wife.

Blanchette said his wife noticed his ticket and asked if it was a winner.

"I told her, well if I read this right, it's worth $50,000," he said. "Right away, she had dollar signs in her eyes."

Blanchette is no stranger to the winner's circle -- he previously visited lottery headquarters several years ago to collect a $25,000 prize from a Pick 4 drawing.

The winner said he plans to use his latest winnings to pay off his debt, and the rest will go into savings.

"A few dollars will go in my pocket," he said.