I think someone tipped him off to the general location of the last ticket.
It does sound like he had insider info. If I were him...take the cash, and leave the country.
I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility that this guy never bought the winning ticket at all ... and that he actually claimed the prize on behalf of someone who doesn’t want the world to know they’ve come across a lot of money.
People who spend a lot of time playing lottery learn tricks that they use to increase their chances. I got to a point, myself, where I could play and not lose a whole lot of money. I wasn’t making much, but I was almost at an equilibrium between my spending and my earnings.
By golly I think you are right. why else would someone spend 8k on tickets in only one part of the state. Sounds like insider info.