Edwin Castro, $2 Billion Powerball Winner, Shuts Down Man Suing Over ‘Stolen’ Ticket
Edwin Castro, the man who won a $2 billion Powerball jackpot, scored a huge victory in court after he shut down the man claiming the winning ticket was “stolen,” In Touch can exclusively report.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge dismissed Jose Rivera’s lawsuit on September 30, without the option to amend.
The order read, “judgment shall be entered in favor of Defendant Edwin Castro, and against Plaintiff Jose Rivera. Plaintiff shall receive nothing from Defendant Edwin Castro.”
The judge noted that Jose had failed to respond to Edwin’s motion in court and therefore the case was dismissed.
Edwin Castro
Last year, Jose sued Edwin, 31, the California State Lottery Commission and a man named “Reggie.”
In court documents, Jose claimed he purchased the winning lottery ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California on November 7, 2022.
The location is the same spot where the winning ticket was sold.
Jose claimed a man named “Reggie” stole the ticket from him. Jose said “Reggie” would not give back the ticket despite him demanding he return it multiple times.
Later that night, Jose he saw the lottery numbers drawn on television and saw the numbers on his “stolen” ticket drawn..
The California State Lottery Commission announced Edwin as the winner on February 14, 2023. He was paid a lump sum of $997 million.
In court documents, Jose claimed he told the California State Lottery Commission about his issue but they told them they couldn’t do anything unless he had the winning ticket.
“The authority is clear that the State Lottery cannot pay winnings to anyone who does not present a valid, winning ticket. Any theft of a Powerball ticket should be addressed with the law enforcement and the alleged thief, not the State Lottery,” an attorney for the commission argued in the court battle.
For his part, Edwin scoffed at the lawsuit. His lawyer argued Jose had no legal standing to bring the case.
Edwin Castro Victory
He also said there was security footage of Edwin purchasing the winning ticket at the store. “I have personally viewed the CCTV footage and it is crystal clear,” Edwin’s attorney said. “Edwin Castro purchased the winning Powerball ticket without question.”
The attorney claimed Jose’s lawsuit failed to plead facts that would establish how Edwin would have received the allegedly “stolen” ticket.
Earlier this year, the judge presiding over the case dismissed all claims against the California State Lottery Commission. Now, Edwin can breathe a little easier with the legal battle finally over for him.
As In Touch previously reported, Edwin has been living the high life since winning the jackpot in 2022.
Back in July, he was spotted out in Los Angeles with his new model girlfriend Payten Vincent. Edwin and Payten, 24, were seen being driven around town in a chauffeured black SUV. The billionaire and the model have been linked together for months. Sources said the two met at a Giorgio Armani event in Malibu at Soho House.
Edwin and Payten have not spoken about their relationship publicly.
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