Dallas ? A man who lost a winning lottery ticket and recovered it five days later got a $25,000 check from the Texas Lottery on Monday, just in time for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

Mike Sargent, a 51-year-old AT&T facilities specialist from Alvarado, signed paperwork and picked up the check Monday morning, one month after he turned it in to a lottery claims center, lottery spokesman Bobby Heith said.

The agency had to run forensic tests on the scratch-off ticket because Sargent’s signature had been partially scratched off. The investigation was completed Friday, Heith said.

Sargent bought the Wheel of Fortune instant game ticket on Nov. 15 and lost it moments afterward. He spent days searching fields and ditches – even sifting through a convenience store’s trash bin. A water meter reader found it five days later while working near the store and returned it in exchange for a $2,500 reward.