Edwin Castro Lawsuit: Stolen Ticket Claim, Dismissal, and Rivera Charge

The lawsuit against Edwin Castro, the winner of the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, was dismissed on October 1, 2024, when a Los Angeles County judge ruled that the person holding a winning lottery ticket is its presumptive owner and that Castro was the rightful winner. The plaintiff, Jose Rivera, had claimed the ticket was stolen from him before the November 7, 2022 drawing, but he never possessed the physical ticket and failed to contest the tentative dismissal.¹

Who Sued Castro and Why

Rivera filed his complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 22, 2023, eight days after Castro publicly claimed the prize. The case, numbered 23AHCV00379, named four defendants: the California State Lottery Commission, the State of California, Urachi F. Romero (sued under the name “Reggie”), and Edwin G. Castro.²

Rivera, a landscaper, said he had bought the winning ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena on the day of the drawing and that Romero, his former landlord, stole it from him that same day. He alleged that after the numbers were drawn, Romero told him the ticket was a “loser” or offered to split the winnings 50/50, and that he was later threatened with destruction of the ticket if he did not agree to a split. The complaint asserted claims for emotional damages, trespass to chattel, and intentional interference with prospective economic relations, and asked the California Lottery to preserve store surveillance footage.³

Romero’s public statements were mixed. He denied stealing the ticket and said he had no ties to Castro, but he confirmed seeing Rivera with a ticket on November 7, 2022, telling reporters, “I saw Jose Rivera with that ticket … he showed it to me.”⁴ He also claimed publicly that Castro was not the “real winner.”⁵ Court documents did not explain how, or whether, any ticket passed from Romero to Castro, and the available records do not show Romero filing a formal response in the case.

Why the Case Failed

Rivera had a fundamental problem: he could not produce the winning ticket. California lottery regulations require a claimant to submit the original winning ticket, and the court noted the absence repeatedly.²

Castro’s side pointed to surveillance video from Joe’s Service Center. The California State Lottery Commission confirmed it had footage of Castro buying the winning ticket, and Castro’s attorney, David De Paoli, said he had personally viewed the video and described it as “crystal clear” proof that “Edwin Castro purchased the winning Powerball ticket without question.”⁶ The Lottery Commission did not release the footage publicly but stood by its vetting process and its identification of Castro as the rightful winner.⁷

The Dismissal

The case unraveled in stages. On March 1, 2024, Judge William A. Crowfoot sustained the California State Lottery Commission’s demurrer to Rivera’s declaratory relief claim without leave to amend, finding Rivera could not state a viable claim because he did not possess the winning ticket required by lottery regulations.²

A tentative ruling in September 2024 disposed of the rest of the lawsuit. The judge wrote that “players are solely responsible for securing their Tickets against theft, loss, damage, or destruction” and that “the person in possession of a … winning lottery ticket … is the presumptive owner/winner.”¹ Rivera did not contest the tentative ruling, and the dismissal became final on October 1, 2024.⁸ No appeal appears in the available record, and Castro kept his winnings, which he had taken as a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million on February 14, 2023.⁹

Criminal Charge Against Rivera

Rivera’s story also drew a criminal case against him. The Pasadena Police Department charged him with filing a false police report under California Penal Code section 148.5(a), saying he was “wasting their time and resources on a frivolous claim.”⁶ Rivera pleaded not guilty and was scheduled for arraignment in December 2023.¹⁰

At a February 20, 2024 hearing, Judge Donna Hollingsworth suspended criminal proceedings and ordered a mental health competency evaluation. Rivera fired his attorney at the same hearing and was directed to appear at a competency hearing on March 5, 2024.¹¹ The available research does not indicate how the criminal case was ultimately resolved.

A Separate Case Involving Castro’s Cousins

A different legal matter sometimes surfaces alongside the Rivera dispute but is not connected to it. Two of Castro’s cousins, Jean Pierre Castro and Byron Castro Jr., were charged in connection with a Laguna Beach classic car business, Alphamotive Motors LLC. Jean Pierre Castro faced 24 counts, including grand theft, grand theft auto, and aggravated white-collar crime enhancements; Byron Castro Jr. was listed as a co-defendant on one count of offering false or forged documents.¹²

Edwin Castro’s attorney said Castro “was completely surprised to learn of the allegations” and “had absolutely no involvement with the transactions and issues that led to the criminal charges.” A representative confirmed Castro never went into business with his cousins, and the case has no connection to the lottery winnings or the Rivera lawsuit.¹²

1
New York Post. Edwin Castro Will Keep $2.04 Billion Winnings as Calif Judge Tosses Powerball Lawsuit
2
Rulings.law. Case 23AHCV00379
3
NBC News. Winner of Historic $2B Powerball Sued by Man Who Claims Ticket Stolen
4
The Independent. Powerball Winner Lawsuit Jose Rivera Edwin Castro
5
New York Post. Reggie Romero Man Sued in Powerball Scandal Claims Edwin Castro Isnt Real Winner
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News.com.au. Bombshell CCTV Footage Proves Edwin Castro Is Rightful Winner of Powerball Jackpot Lawyer
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The Daily Beast. Footage Proves Edwin Castro Bought Winning Powerball Ticket Lawyer
8
iHeartRadio. Decision Made on Lawsuit Against $2.04 Billion Powerball Winner
9
TCPalm. Edwin Castro Powerball Lottery Winner How Spent Prize Money
10
Pasadena Now. Man Who Claims Powerball Ticket Worth Billions Was Stolen From Him to Be Arraigned for Filing False Police Report
11
The Sun. Edwin Castro Lottery Rival Jose Rivera Erupts Court
12
The Sun. Edwin Castro Cousins Sued Charged Grand Theft Auto