EDWIN Castro’s lottery rival Jose Rivera has vowed not to give up amid the legal fight – and lashed out at his former owner, who denied stealing the winning ticket.
Castro, 32, became the biggest winner in American history in November 2022, collecting US$2.04 billion – ultimately walking away with US$628.5 million.
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Los Angeles gardener Rivera filed a civil complaint shortly after Castro was publicly cited in February 2023 accusing his former owner Urachi “Reggie” Romero of stealing the ticket.
He believes that Castro and Romero are in collusion and that the former mechanic discounted the ticket.
Castro’s lawyer denied the allegations, insisting he never met either man, while Romero told The US Sun he never benefited from the victory.
Rivera, who was also accused of filing a false police report, insisted this month that he is “not going to give up” ahead of his next court hearings in July.
Speaking to The US Sun, he said: “I plead not guilty in the criminal case and the civil case will go to trial. My new lawyer will cause serious harm. I am very happy to have him by my side.”
As reported, Rivera has hired attorney John Michael Flanagan, the defense attorney who represented Michael Jackson’s disgraced doctor, Conrad Murray.
Flanagan represented Murray at his manslaughter trial and conviction for his role in the late star’s death.
Romero, who has yet to hire a lawyer or appear in court, recently criticized Rivera by telling him to “stop playing” and accusing him of stealing.
BEACH CUSHION
But in a bizarre twist, he said he believes his former tenant bought the winning ticket and lost it.
Rivera told The US Sun: “Reggie is talking too much, but it’s good for me, keep talking. He’s insulting me, but it’s not polite.
“He’s so angry that they would get away with it, but I’m not giving up. Everyone will pay the price, and it goes to Reggie.
“I haven’t spoken directly to him, I have no communication with him.”
Meanwhile, Castro continues to enjoy his winnings, despite the court case dragging on for more than a year, and it was revealed that he has purchased his third home since his victory.
Edwin Castro Powerball Winning Timeline
When and why Castro was prosecuted
On November 7, 2022, Castro purchased a winning Powerball ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.
The grand prize was $2.04 billion at the time – the largest in US history.
On February 14, 2023, the California Lottery announced Castro’s win, and he took home a one-time payment of $997.6 million.
Castro’s identity was disclosed, but little information was known about the former mechanic.
In May 2023, Jose Rivera, a California gardener, filed a lawsuit claiming he was the rightful owner of the golden ticket.
Rivera claimed that its former owner Urachi F. Romero stole the ticket before it ended up in Castro’s hands.
Since filing the lawsuit, Rivera has been accused of filing a false police report and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by a judge.
However, Rivera pleaded not guilty to the charge, passed the evaluation and continues to defend his story.
The US Sun revealed that he secretly purchased a $3.8 million luxury home near the beach last year.
Property documents seen by The US Sun show it was purchased in 2023 under a mysterious LLC whose name is just the home’s address.
Los Angeles Country Recorder records for Castro’s first property, above the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, also showed an LLC listing only the address.
The US Sun reached out to Castro’s representative, who declined to comment.
CELEBRITY LIFESTYLE
Photographs showed the multimillionaire in the property’s open garage with his security guard earlier this month.
Castro chose to wear a navy blue t-shirt, khaki Porsche swimming shorts with colorful stripes and flip-flops.
He wore his dark tresses in a ponytail and was seen holding a cold drink.
An online listing for the home seen by The US Sun details the property as having just three bedrooms and two bathrooms, much smaller than his primary residence in the Hollywood Hills.
The beach pad, which came fully furnished, also includes a two-car garage for its fleet of sophisticated vintage motors.
Castro already owns a $25.5 million home near the famous Sunset Strip, which is said to be his primary residence, while he also purchased a $4 million home in Altadena for his family.
He was last seen enjoying his new celebrity lifestyle after an afternoon at the private Soho House club in Malibu, near his new property.
Meanwhile, Rivera will appear in Pasadena criminal court on July 8, when a trial date will likely be set.
He is also back in court for his civil case on July 25 in Alhambra.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
