Edwin Castro’s rival Jose Rivera vows that he’s not giving up ticket fight after Powerball winner buys $3.8m Malibu home
EDWIN Castro’s lottery rival Jose Rivera has vowed not to give up amid their legal fight – and has hit out at his former landlord who has denied stealing the winning ticket.
Castro, 32, became the biggest winner in American history in November 2022, scooping $2.04billion – eventually walking away with $628.5million.
Lalo/PPC Commissioned by The US Sun Digital editionEdwin Castro is still yet to speak publicly about the legal fight but is being backed by the California Lottery[/caption]
The US Sun - Commissioned by The US Sun Digital editionRivera is seen leaving Pasadena Courthouse Los Angeles County Superior Court at a hearing in March[/caption]
Los Angeles gardener Rivera filed a civil complaint soon after Castro was named publicly in February 2023, accusing his ex-landlord Urachi “Reggie” Romero of stealing the ticket.
He believes Castro and Romero are in cahoots and the former mechanic then cashed in the ticket.
Castro’s lawyer has denied the claims, insisting he has never met either of the men, while Romero told The U.S. Sun he has never benefited from the win.
Rivera, who has also been charged with filing a false police complaint, insisted this month he is “not giving up” ahead of his next court hearings in July.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, he said, “I plead not guilty in the criminal case, and the civil case will be taken to trial. My new lawyer is going to do serious damage. I’m so glad to have him on my side.”
As reported, Rivera has hired lawyer John Michael Flanagan, the defense attorney who represented Michael Jackson’s disgraced doctor Conrad Murray.
Flanagan represented Murray through his trial and his manslaughter conviction for his role in the late superstar’s death.
Romero, who is yet to hire a lawyer or appear in court, recently hit out at Rivera telling him to “stop playing games” and accusing him of theft.
BEACH PAD
But in a bizarre twist, he said he does believe his former tenant bought the winning ticket and lost it.
Rivera told The U.S. Sun, “Reggie is talking too much, but for me it’s good, keep talking. He’s insulting me but he’s not educated.
“He’s so mad that they were going to get away with this but I’m not giving up. Everyone will pay the price, and it’s coming to Reggie.
“I haven’t spoken to him directly, I have no communication with him.”
Meanwhile, Castro continues to enjoy his winnings despite the legal case dragging on for more than a year, and it was revealed he has bought his third house since the win.
Edwin Castro's Powerball win timeline
When and why Castro got sued
On November 7, 2022, Castro bought 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 lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
Castro’s identity was released, but little information was known about the former mechanic.
In May 2023, Jose Rivera, a gardener from California, filed a lawsuit claiming that he was the rightful owner of the golden ticket.
Rivera claimed his former landlord Urachi F. Romero stole the ticket before it ended up in Castro’s hands.
Since filing the suit, Rivera has been charged with 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 U.S. Sun revealed he secretly bought a $3.8 million luxury home near the beach last year.
Property documents seen by The U.S. Sun show it was purchased in 2023 under a mystery LLC, the name of which is just the home‘s address.
Filings from the Recorder’s Office of Los Angeles Country for Castro‘s first property, above Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, also featured an LLC listing only the address.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Castro‘s rep who declined to comment.
CELEBRITY LIFESTYLE
Photographs showed the multi-millionnaire in the open garage at the property with his security guard earlier this month.
Castro opted to wear a navy T-shirt, a pair of khaki Porsche swimming trunks with colorful stripes, and flip-flops.
He wore his dark tresses back in a ponytail and was seen holding an iced beverage.
An online listing for the home seen by The U.S. Sun details the property having just three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a lot smaller than his main residence in the Hollywood Hills.
The beach pad, which came fully furnished, also includes a two-car garage for his fleet of fancy vintage motors.
Castro already owns a $25.5 million home near the famous Sunset Strip, which is said to be his main residence, while he also bought a $4 million home in Altadena for his family.
He was last seen enjoying his new celebrity lifestyle after an afternoon at private members’ club Soho House in Malibu, close to his new property.
Meanwhile, Rivera will next appear in criminal court in Pasadena on July 8 when a trial date is likely to be set.
He is also back in court for his civil case on July 25 in Alhambra.
The US Sun - Commissioned by The US Sun Digital editionUrachi Romero is seen running errands in Los Angeles in March after insisting he hasn’t benefited from the jackpot[/caption]
AlamyAttorney J. Michael Flanagan (pictured) is now representing Rivera in court as he continues to fight Castro[/caption]
Lalo/PPC - Commissioned by The US Sun Digital editionCastro has bought at least three homes and multiple vintage sports cars since the huge win[/caption]
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