Edwin Castro, the man who won $2 billion in the Powerball lottery, was sued alleging that his winning lottery ticket was stolen.
Castro, 30, was in his new $25 million mansion in California on Thursday when he got the lawsuit.
The winning Powerball ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, for the November drawing that captivated the nation.
Castro claimed the winning lottery ticket and California lottery officials say he is the rightful owner of the $2 billion prize. But that didn’t stop Jose Rivera from filing a lawsuit saying the ticket belonged to him.
Edwin Castro was sued alleging that his $2 billion Powerball lottery ticket was stolen
Castro was served as his new $25 million California home despite lottery officials saying he is the rightful winner
Rivera claims a man named ‘Reggie’ stole the ticket and refused to return it, saying it was a dud. Reggie also said that if he turned out to be a winner, he would give up half of the winnings.
Rivera said he refused to be blackmailed and reported the alleged theft to police and lottery officials.
Both Castro and Reggie were named as co-defendants in the lawsuit, according to a American sun report.
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.
Service center employees told DailyMail.com there was little evidence to support the claims that the ticket was stolen.
“California Lottery has strict rules about how they choose a winner, this guy is crazy, he came in here with his lawyer screaming about it and there’s nothing we can do,” said one employee.
The employee added that lottery officials obtained surveillance video and went through it frame-by-frame for the vetted winner.
“When it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has full confidence in its process to do this,” the California Lottery said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
“California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize resulting from the November 2022 Powerball drawing.”
Castro has been spotted leaving a couch in a vintage Porsche and bought two homes in California for $29 million since taking home nearly $1 billion after taxes from his lottery winnings
At the time of the win, lottery director Alva Johnson said Castro wanted to remain private and declined an invitation from lottery officials to attend the press conference.
In a prepared statement, Castro said, “As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball draw, the real winner is the California public school system.”
California public schools act as beneficiaries of the state lottery.
It means the education system received more than $156 million as a result of the record-breaking win.
After winning, Castro took the buyout totaling $997.6 million after tax.
Center workers who sold the winning ticket weren’t so private as they celebrated their $1 million windfall.
Joe Chahayed, won $1 million for selling the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball ticket.
Chahayed said at the time that he would share the profits with his entire family.
Chahayed – the father-in-law of former NFL player Domata Peko – held a huge check outside his gas station next to his family in a “millionaire made here” shirt.
“We’re excited,” he said at a press conference with California Lottery last November.
“I will share it with family, with whatever it takes, with my children, my grandchildren. I have 11 grandchildren and I will share with them.’
His son, who was at the press conference, said “no one else deserves it more than this man.”
Castro has been living big since his win, buying two separate California mansions for a total of $29 million
Castro’s new $4 million in Altadena, California, comes with its own home theater and expensive artwork
Castro also bought a house for $25 million just 20 miles from his $4 million property in California
The expansive 13,578-square-foot hillside property complete with a full outdoor kitchen, gym, wine cellar, and infinity pool
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.
Castro, according to reports, got the lawsuit in his new $25 million mansion.