$2 billion lottery winner Edwin Castro looking downcast heading to his lawyer’s office in LA
Lottery winner Edwin Castro was photographed Tuesday in the Pasadena section of Los Angeles entering an office building while facing a lawsuit from a man who says he is the real owner of the Powerball ticket.
Castro, 31, did not smile as he entered the building where his lawyer is located, wearing his usual casual clothes, a green t-shirt, black sweatpants, flip flops and a plastic bottle of water in his hand.
In February, Castro came forward to claim the winnings from the November draw, opting to receive the $997.6 million buyout.
His ownership of the winning ticket is disputed by a man named Jose Rivera, who says his landlord, Urachi Romero, in turn stole it from him and tried to blackmail him into returning it.
When Rivera refused to bow to the blackmail, he says Castro took the profits. Rivera has not said how Castro came into possession of the ticket. Romero has supported his former tenant’s claims.
Edwin Castro, 31, pictured outside an office building in the Pasadena neighborhood of Los Angeles
The building Castro was outside houses several law firms, including Castro’s
Castro faces a lawsuit from a man claiming to be the rightful owner of the winning Powerball ticket
Also on Tuesday, Romero urged the committee to release the video showing Rivera purchasing the ticket from Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, along with a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Romero accused the commission of merely trying to “cover their a****s” by trying to evade the lawsuit, the report says the New York Post.
“They have the video, but it’s not Castro there… [The commission] responsible for their negligence. Someone claimed they had that ticket long before Castro came out,” Romero told the Post.
Speaking to the New York Post earlier this month, Romero said, “I saw Jose Rivera with that ticket, he showed it to me.
“I asked him why he chose two tens. He said it was the date his parents both died. He chose 47 because he is so old.
“He also said his dad always wanted a 1956 Chevy truck, so he chose 56. He had a reason why he chose each number and he told me this before (the drawing).”
“Jose Rivera showed me that ticket before he knew it was the winning ticket. But I don’t know how he lost that ticket.’
It is not clear why Castro entered the building
He was dressed in his usual casual clothes, green T-shirt, dark sweatpants, sandals while holding a water bottle.
Castro received legal papers in the case late last month.
Castro was in his new $25 million mansion in California when he got the papers.
He claimed the winning lottery ticket and California lottery officials say he is the rightful owner of the $2 billion prize.
According to a US Sun report, both Castro and Reggie were named as co-defendants in the lawsuit.
The winning ticket – 10, 33, 41, 47, 56 and Powerball 10 – was sold at the Altadena store, which also saw a $1 million payout for the historic win.
In a previous statement, California Lottery said, “When it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has full confidence in its process to do so.
“California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize resulting from the November 2022 Powerball drawing.”
Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, where the ticket was purchased in November 2022
Castro was sued alleging that his $2 billion Powerball lottery ticket was stolen
Urachi Romero, pictured, has now said his former lodger Jose Rivera showed him the winning ticket
Castro has been living big since his win, buying two separate California mansions for a total of $29 million. He was also seen driving away from a couch in a vintage Porsche.
One of his new homes is a $4 million mansion in the Los Angeles area. The house comes with its own home theater, private office and expensive artwork, which is sure to be enhanced given Castro’s hefty new bank balance.
Altadena’s home is just a short drive from where Castro grew up.
When Castro gets tired of the $4 million estate, he’s only about 20 miles from his second California complex, which he bought for $25 million just eight days earlier.
The expansive 13,578-square-foot hillside property complete with a full outdoor kitchen, gym, wine cellar, and infinity pool.