Posted on: October 2, 2024, 04:54h.
Last updated on: October 2, 2024, 04:54h.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge this week dismissed a lawsuit against Edwin Castro, the winner of the world’s biggest lottery prize.
The complaint was filed in February 2023 by Jose Rivera, who claimed to be the rightful winner of the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot.
Landscape gardener Rivera claimed the winning ticket was stolen from him the night before the November 2023 draw by his then landlord, Urachi F. “Reggie” Romero, who blackmailed him to split the winnings, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiff said he did not know how the ticket later ended up in Castro’s possession, a man he had never met, according to the lawsuit.
Finders Keepers
In August, Judge Donna Hollingsworth determined that “players are solely responsible for securing their tickets against theft, loss, damage, or destruction,” without ruling on the veracity of Rivera’s claims.
“The person in possession of a … winning lottery ticket … is the presumptive owner/winner,” she added.
Since the plaintiff failed to file a response to that ruling, the case was tossed.
Judgment shall be entered in favor of Defendant Edwin Castro, and against Plaintiff Jose Rivera. Plaintiff shall receive nothing from Defendant Edwin Castro,” Hollingsworth wrote.
The ruling is now final, and the case is closed.
Reggie and ‘The Midget’
Rivera’s claim appeared to gain some credibility in May when Romero told The New York Post he believed his tenant did have the winning ticket, although he denied stealing it or knowing Castro.
Romero later said that the ticket may have been taken by his friend, an ex-con identified only as “Midget,” who he claimed had links to Castro’s family.
The Castro camp has always denied these claims, and the California Lottery has said it is confident Castro was the real winner.
‘God Knows the Truth’
Castro’s attorney, David De Paoli, claims to have viewed video footage of his client buying the winning ticket. The video has not been publicly released by the California Lottery.
In November 2023, Pasadena Police formally charged Rivera with wasting police time. A month later, Rivera was still defiant when he spoke to Casino.org.
Many people have gone to prison over fighting for the right thing and [are] still treated like gum on the bottom of their shoe,” Rivera said. “Our true God knows the truth [about] what is going on, and may everyone find salvation in him.”
Meanwhile, Castro has been splurging on luxury properties and vintage cars and is dating Instagram model Payten Vincent. The couple met at a Giorgio Armani event in Malibu, according to reports.
