$2B Powerball Winner Indeed Was a Hot Ticket, Suit Claims

Plaintiff says he's the one who bought the lucky ticket, not Edwin Castro
By Steve Huff,  Newser Staff
Posted May 26, 2023 4:16 PM CDT
$2B Powerball Winner Indeed Was a Hot Ticket, Suit Claims
California Lottery Director Alva Johnson announces that Edwin Castro won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot on Feb. 14 in Sacramento.   (AP Photo/Adam Beam)

A bit of the $2 billion Powerball jackpot that a California man won apparently will be going to lawyers. A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County says the ticket Edwin Castro cashed in was stolen, CBS News reports. Jose Rivera says that he bought the ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena last Nov. 7 but that Urachi "Reggie" Romero quickly stole it from him. Rivera repeatedly demanded the ticket back, but Romero refused to turn it over, the suit says. No details about how Castro got his hands on the ticket were included.

The California Lottery Commission stands by its declaration of Castro, who chose a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million, as the winner. "When it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has the utmost confidence in its process," a spokesperson told People. The suit over the largest lottery payoff ever includes the Lottery Commission and Romero as defendants. (Castro went home shopping after his win.)

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