Jose Rivera, the man who sued a Powerball winner, has now been taken to court over charges of filing a false police report.
However, Rivera insists that he is the legitimate winner of the historic $2 billion jackpot.
Who is Jose Rivera?
Jose Rivera, 48, is a gardener from California who has been claiming that he is the rightful winner of a $2 billion lottery ticket.
Rivera claims his former landlord, Urachi F. Romero, had stolen the winning ticket before it ended up in Castro’s hands.
Castro was announced as the winner of the largest-ever jackpot in February 2023, following the November 2022 draw.
Both men have vehemently denied the claims, while the California Lottery Commission, which is also named as a defendant, has always maintained Castro is the real winner.
What has Jose Rivera been accused of?
Rivera has been charged with a violation of Penal Code, section 148.5 – otherwise known as filing a false police report.
In California, the punishment for filing a false report is jail time of up to six months, probation, and fines of up to $1,000.
Police confirmed they were looking into Rivera’s claims and worked with Lottery investigators to understand when the alleged crime could have occurred.
But they now believe Rivera wasted police time and resources.
Castro’s attorney, David De Paoli, has stated that he has viewed CCTV footage, and it is evident that Edwin Castro purchased the winning Powerball ticket without question.
De Paoli also commented on the case, saying, “I think you can see this thing is going to go the way of the dinosaur. When you see lawyers bailing out of a case, that’s a bad sign for the plaintiff.”
De Paoli clarified that there is no connection between the Powerball winner and Rivera, stating, “My client doesn’t know what the connection between Rivera and Romero is, but as far as my client is concerned, he doesn’t know any of them.
He has no idea what’s going on on that side, and who knows what went on between those guys. That’s speculation at this point, but we don’t really care because what’s going on between those guys because it doesn’t really involve us except to the extent that we’re sitting here in court.”
How much was the Powerball jackpot?
Edwin Castro was named the largest Powerball winner of all time after scooping a whopping $2.04 billion jackpot.
The player defied odds of one in 292 million to win the prize and was identified months after he bought the winning ticket in California. He has since made substantial real estate and car purchases.
What has Jose Rivera said?
Rivera has remained adamant about his claims to the $2 billion jackpot, stating in an exclusive video interview with The U.S. Sun, “It’s ridiculous that they are trying to put charges on me for my own ticket. I don’t have words for it. But I showed them that I am the rightful winner. I was the one who bought the ticket.
I’m going to show everyone that I’m the rightful winner. This is war and Imma fight … if God wants me in jail for my own ticket .. oh well, that’s what he wants. But Imma fight until the end. I want justice and I’m going to show the world. I’m fighting for justice. I’m not hungry on money.”
