The winner of California’s record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot last year is being sued by a man who claims the ticket was stolen from him before the winning numbers were revealed.
Edwin Castro won the record-setting prize in the November 2022 draw and was identified in February. At the time he said he was “shocked and ecstatic” and chose to accept the jackpot in a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million.
That same month he was identified, a man named Jose Rivera filed a civil complaint in Alhambra Superior Court claiming the jackpot should be his.
The suit was filed against Castro, The California State Lottery Commission, the state of California and a man named Urachi F. Romero, whom Rivera accused of taking his ticket.
Jose Rivera purchased a lottery ticket for the $2.04 billion Powerball on Nov. 7, 2022 at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, one day before the draw, according to the complaint.
But that same day, Rivera alleges Romero stole the ticket. The complaint did not detail how the alleged theft happen.
After Romero allegedly stole the ticket, Rivera made “numerous requests and demands to return it,” but Romero refused, according to the complaint.
On Nov. 8, 2022 the winning numbers were drawn and Rivera made renewed requests for Romero to return the ticket. But, Romero allegedly responded by saying “the ticket was a loser or if I find the ticket we can split the winnings 50/50,” the complaint said.
Rivera reported the alleged theft to the California Lottery and law enforcement, according to court documents.
On Feb. 14, the California State Lottery Commission and State of California announced Edwin Castro was the winner of the Powerball. Lottery officials said they followed a vetting process to assure the ticket and claim were legitimate.
Rivera presented a claim form to the California Lottery in Santa Fe Springs three days later claiming his ticket was stolen.
That same day his counsel sent a letter to the California Lottery claiming the winning ticket was stolen from Rivera.
“Up until the announcement on February 14, 2023, Mr. Rivera had been threatened that his winning ticket would be destroyed if he did not agree to split the winnings,” the letter to California Lottery said.
The complaint said Rivera requested that California Lottery to preserve all footage depicting the winning ticket being purchased at Joe’s Service Center.
Rivera says he’s entitled to the jackpot, claiming he suffered emotional damages, trespass to chattel (meaning use of property without an owner’s permission) and intentional interference with prospective economic relations in the alleged ordeal.
California Lottery said it does not comment on pending litigation but expressed “utmost confidence” in the organization’s vetting process for winners.
“California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize stemming from the Powerball drawing in November of 2022,” state lottery Deputy Director and spokesperson Carolyn Becker said.
A summons was served on April 25 at a sprawling $25.5 million Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles home that was sold in March, according to online records.
But the person at the home allegedly told process servers “we are serving the wrong Edwin Castro,” according to a May 17 filing.
On Thursday, a motion to quash service of summons was filed by an attorney for Castro. It said that the summons was issued to Edwin H. Castro — the father of actual Powerball winner Edwin G. Castro.
A declaration attached to the motion by Edwin G. Castro, the actual jackpot winner, said he has never personally been issued a summons. He acknowledged that the LA home his father was served at was his. He did not address the claims regarding the ticket in his filing.
A hearing is set for July 19 on that motion.
NBC News has reached out to attorneys for Rivera and Castro for comment. Romero, who did not file a response in the court docket, could not be reached Friday.
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