A lawsuit claiming Edwin Castro, the winner of the record-setting $2.04 billion Powerball drawing, stole his winning ticket has been dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The judge tentatively dismissed the lawsuit filed by Jose Rivera last month, which became official Tuesday (October 1) after Rivera failed to appeal the ruling. In February 2023, Rivera claimed he bought the ticket from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California, on November 7, 2023, one day prior to the record-setting drawing.
Rivera said a man named 'Reggie' stole the ticket that same day and refused to give it back, instead offering to give up half as part of what Rivera described as blackmail, which led to him reporting the theft to the California Lottery and local authorities.
Castro was served legal papers in relation to the lawsuit claiming his winning ticket was stolen in May 2023, months after the California Lottery announced him as the winner of the record-setting lottery. Last November, the California State Lottery Commission claimed it had video footage of Castro buying the ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena and attorney David De Paoli said he personally viewed the clip in a statement to the U.S. Sun.
Castro accepted the lump sum prize of $997.6 million and is estimated to have paid a combined $76 million on the three homes, while also purchasing several notable luxury items.