POWERBALL winner Edwin Castro appeared carefree as he stood in a car garage amid his legal battle to win the jackpot.
Exclusive new photographs obtained by The US Sun show the former mechanic picking up license plates as sources say he enjoys restoring and selling old vehicles.
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Castro, 32, was seen wearing a navy blue T-shirt with the word ‘Schraders‘, on the cover, which is a restoration shop in Azusa, California.
The long-haired lottery winner paired it with navy blue pants and white and gray Nike sneakers.
He was seen checking out a friend’s Ferrari as he crossed the parking lot while carrying the license plate to the car.
An eyewitness said he arrived at the garage on Thursday and was seen greeting friends and greeting employees.
Castro, who has a penchant for classic cars and has purchased several since his victory, is said to be in the restoration business, which could suggest why he was buying license plates.
He was spotted in January checking out a garage he allegedly intended to buy, according to a source.
They said at the time: “Edwin is keen to get into the car restoration business and along with a workshop is looking for his own shop, he has already visited a number of properties.
“He’s definitely not taking any chances in the New Year and wants to spend money building his car empire.”
VINTAGE COLLECTION
Edwin began starting his vintage collection after his victory in November 2021, when he was photographed driving a new black 1980s Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe, which costs around $135,491.
He was also seen driving a white Porsche while purchasing property, along with a vintage 1970s green Porsche 911 SC, believed to be worth around $50,000.
Last year, Edwin was also photographed eyeing a $1.6 million Mercedes Gullwing at a supercar show, as a source claimed at the time he was considering buying one.
In an interview with The US Sun, celebrity stylist and image consultant Amanda Sanders said Castro’s car collection represents a side of his personality that doesn’t come across in his appearance.
“I think they’re very classic and super sophisticated,” she said of his outings.
“It shows he’s interested in the art of cars and the art of making cars. He values and appreciates that.”
Castro seemed to not have a care in the world as he was seen smiling and smoking a vape during his outing as his civil case with José Rivera is still dragging on.
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The Los Angeles gardener is suing the star for allegedly cashing in his winning lottery ticket.
Rivera has so far been unable to produce any proof that he regularly picked the same numbers, while the California Lottery says it has surveillance footage of Castro’s purchase.
Castro has hired a new lawyer, former federal prosecutor and veteran attorney Michael G. Freedman of The Freedman Firm in Los Angeles.
Castro has remained silent on the lawsuit, while his legal team has insisted that he is the rightful winner.
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.
He has been enjoying his winnings and keeping a low profile since the drawing, even attending the press conference to celebrate his historic win at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, where he purchased his ticket.
He only released a statement about his victory, saying, “As shocked and ecstatic as I am to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system.
“The mission of the California Lottery, which is to provide supplemental funding for California public education…makes this a huge win for the state.
“As someone who has received the rewards of being educated in the California public school system, it is gratifying to know that as a result of my victory, the California school system also greatly benefits.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
