California man claims winning $2.04 billion Powerball lottery ticket was stolen from him

Comment #33

cottoneyedjoe — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 06:15:49 GMT

https://nypost.com/2023/03/08/powerball-winner-edwin-castro-bought-this-25-5m-la-mansion/

NY Post says the winner bought an expensive house in Hollywood Hills, so I guess the lottery already paid him.

Comment #32

EnReval — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 17:50:44 GMT

Do you work with Reggie, is he a coworker, cousin, u met at a bar? Surely, they have some connection, why not reveal complete name?

So did the lottery ofc already pay Edward some

Comment #31

Stack47 — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:48:37 GMT

The ticket has a time stamp and probably one on the video too. It's similar to the Iowa store video showing someone that looked a lot like Eddie Tippon purchasing a lottery ticket at the exact time and place the winning ticket was sold.

The lawsuit doesn't say if Rivera even knows Castro but does say he doesn't know Reggie's last name. The judge will probably be confused too.

Comment #30

EnReval — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 05:10:09 GMT

Sounds like Reggie n Jose was standing ext to each other and Reggie snatched the ticket bcuz he cldn't afford to buy one

sounds silly

however if lottery ofc vets that Castro purchased the tkt, Jose n Reggie lose

so wondering if the tkt was a one line ticket that numbers were picked and Jose knew these were his numbers

am confused

Comment #29

eddessaknight — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 23:38:59 GMT

AMEN, Raven

Everything is connected

~Buddah Wisdom and Quantum physics

Comment #28

Artist77 — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:25:51 GMT

Some of the video in stores may be poor quality. It would not be that unusual to want to hold or steal a ticket before a drawing hoping to win a little money. I am a skeptical attorney always. Lol

Comment #27

cottoneyedjoe — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:18:44 GMT

It's plausible, but improbable unless Castro is Rivera's doppelg nger and was able to fool the CA Lottery throughout a weeks long vetting process. There's also the question of why Reggie stole a ticket before the drawing. This claim is in the complaint, which I managed to find on document cloud.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23689405-powerball-lottery-lawsuit

The vast majority of tickets end up worth $0, so why steal one before the drawing?

This describes some of the vetti... [ More ]

Comment #26

Artist77 — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 13:43:11 GMT

In all honesty, I thought of basically the same situation. I do not consider your fact pattern far fetched. It is plausible.

Comment #25

Tony Numbers — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:14:05 GMT

You should pitch that script to Hollywood and make some movie

Comment #24

db101 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 21:09:59 GMT

Most likely scenario IMO is Rivera is a crackpot, Reggie does not exist, and Castro is an innocent target. I will eat my hat if I'm wrong.

Comment #23

grwurston — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 20:47:14 GMT

Rivera said that after the winning numbers were drawn, he repeatedly asked Reggie to give the ticket back, but he refused. Reggie then allegedly threatened to destroy the ticket if Rivera did not agree to split the winnings.

If Reggie had the winning ticket when the winning numbers were drawn why would he destroy it? If Reggie destroys it, he gets nothing.

My take. Rivera bought the ticket and told Reggie, then asked did you get one? Reggie said, No. What numbers did you play? Rivera h... [ More ]

Comment #22

Clarkejoseph49 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 13:41:26 GMT

I bet not allowing PowerPlay and Megaplier would be one of the reasons why if that was debated for congress.

Comment #21

ekem6078 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 13:16:37 GMT

If Rivera knew Castro had stolen the ticket, why didn't he ask for the ticket back before the drawings. It makes no sense. How did he know he had won, if the numbers hadn't been drawn yet (unless he wrote down what his ticket numbers were) very doubtful. Riveras is claiming winnings before the numbers can out. Who steals a (maybe no good ticket). Rivera is lying . He may get counter sued, by the State and Castro. Give it up man, your story has more holes in it than a fish net

Comment #20

jjtheprince14 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:04:31 GMT

Hmm...maybe PB and MM should be banned In California lol

Comment #19

Big Joey — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 04:32:27 GMT

I had a cashier steal $500.00 from me once, the lottery has access to the store's video surveillance thru an Ethernet link.

Comment #18

PrisonerSix — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 02:58:16 GMT

I ran a lottery pool at a previous job and that is how I did it. I bought the tickets separately and gave copies to all the members. I bought my personal tickets at different times at other stores.

Even so, one member did actually once say I could have won and not told anyone who which I responded I'd be a fool to try that because everyone had the tickets so they could check them to see if there were any winners.

If the lottery wants to know who bought the ticket, they can tell to the se... [ More ]

Comment #17

PrisonerSix — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 02:53:40 GMT

The lottery knows to the second when and where the winning ticket was sold. They could review security camera footage to determine who was in the store at that time.

Timothy Schultz recently interviewed retired Iowa lottery director Terry Rich. He stated that the lottery has agreements with the stores so they can review camera footage and see exactly who bought the ticket. In fact, he said security camera footage was used in the Eddie Tipton case.

Timothy Schultz is a lottery winner him... [ More ]

Comment #16

justadream — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 23:54:43 GMT

Light snow on the Hollywood sign

Comment #15

Lotterologist — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 23:23:52 GMT

I used to live in Cali. Supposed to snow tonight in Hollywood

Comment #14

grwurston — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:32:41 GMT

Meant to say Reggie and Castro are in cahoots.

Comment #13

grwurston — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:04:38 GMT

So if Jose Rivera bought the ticket and Reggie stole the ticket from Rivera, then how did Edwin Castro end up with it?

Maybe Rivera and Castro are in cahoots.

Comment #12

noise-gate — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:45:51 GMT

* l hear you but l am not buying it in its totality, because this Phantom menace said he repeatedly asked Reggie to give the ticket back, but he refused. Listen up Pal, anyone with half a brain is not going to put up with asked refused. Its straight to the Cops after the VERY first plea for the ticket. We not talking a few hundred dollars here, we talking $2 billion dollars. If like you said, the guy reported the theft within 24 hours, l will lean into it, but right now as it stand's - He has 3... [ More ]

Comment #11

Stack47 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:18:03 GMT

Nothing suspicious about saying Rivera was crazy, , An anonymous employee at Joe's Service Center said that Rivera was crazy for making such an accusation and explained that the Lottery goes through security video footage frame by frame and to the second to verify the winner's identity.

And not the first time someone made a claim like Rivera's. A few years ago a woman in Ohio claimed she lost the winning ticket in convenience store parking lot, filled a police report and a lawsuit to block... [ More ]

Comment #10

Clarkejoseph49 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:54:44 GMT

I bet there will be lawsuits filed out in this case.

Comment #9

Chevaun — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:33:29 GMT

This is the side of why winners name shouldn't be announced but if it's not announced people won't trust the lottery

Comment #8

wander73 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:15:36 GMT

I understand your comical comment and stuff, but lets be serious for a moment. This whole thing sounds suspicious.

Comment #7

wander73 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:14:25 GMT

The place that had that winning ticket is owned by a cincinnati bengals player. don't let it fool ya.

Comment #6

db101 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:12:05 GMT

I'd agree with you that the timing is suspicious if the article had said when the police report was filed. But it doesn't say whether Rivera only recently went to the police or if he made the complaint months ago. Only the lawsuit was filed recently.

I'm with CEJ that when it comes to the big prizes, a lotto ticket ain't gonna be treated as a bearer instrument, no way no how. It's bad publicity for the lottery to be paying out millions to someone invoking finders keepers. Leaves a bad taste... [ More ]

Comment #5

noise-gate — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:58:22 GMT

* Major reaching! The winning numbers have been posted for Months both here on LP elsewhere. Where was this person's claim during all that time about someone stealing his ticket? Now that a winner has claimed the ticket- a shadow emerges? I am not buying it.

Comment #4

cottoneyedjoe — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:42:19 GMT

Large prize winning lottery tickets are not bearer instruments in California. In other states it may be different, but here the lottery absolutely will not pay out anything without verifying that the person making the claim was actually the person who bought the ticket. And if it's one of those cases where the winner sent someone to the store to buy some tickets, the lottery will interview the purchaser. That's why one of the requirements to be a lotto retailer here is having a good security cam... [ More ]

Comment #3

EnReval — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:54:45 GMT

I play in a lottery pool and am the administrator, we have strict guidance

I buy the tickets and immediately send a copy

I play my own at a separate store

so Jose bought, Reggie snatched and Edward turned it in

Comment #2

Bleudog101 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:26:41 GMT

Certainly there is video of the rightful winner purchasing the winning ticket---hopefully Mr. Castro.

Like we always say here it is a Bearer Instrument and hope Mr. Castro signed it.

It was nice of the California Lottery to not 'out' the purchaser like they did that lady a few years ago when they reviewed and posted/plastered her picture.

Comment #1

Raven62 — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:26:07 GMT

W hen you act dishonestly you are initiating problems, and a domino structure of complications, which will eventually run out of control .

A phrase from a poem by Sir Walter Scott written in 1808 comes to mind:

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive .

California man claims winning $2.04 billion Powerball lottery ticket was stolen from him

Lottery Post — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:03:40 GMT

Individual launches allegations after lottery winner steps forward to claim world's largest jackpot

By Kate Northrop

An individual has claimed in legal filings that he was the one to purchase the winning lottery ticket for the world-record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot and that the ticket was stolen from him.

Another Altadena man named Jose Rivera has launched allegations that Edwin Castro is not the true winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball lottery jackpot just over a week after... [ More ]