$2 Billion Powerball 'Pretenders' Will 'Go to War' to Win Lottery
A California man who claims to be the rightful owner of the world's largest lottery jackpot has vowed to continue fighting for an alleged $2 billion in stolen winnings.
Jose Rivera spoke publicly for the first time since suing winner Edwin Castro and his former landlord Urachio F. Romero. Rivera claimed Romero stole the ticket from him and then blackmailed him into splitting the winnings, before the ticket ended up in the hands of Castro, who claimed the winnings in February 2023.
Standing on the steps of the Pasadena courtroom where he is accused of filing a false police report in connection with the incident, Rivera told The American Sun that this was "war" and he would not back down.
"They want to charge me for my own tickets, which is ridiculous," he said. "I have nothing to say. But I'm proving to them that I'm the legitimate winner. I'm the one who bought the ticket. I'm going to prove to everyone that I'm the legitimate winner.
Rivera: "Fight for Justice"
"If God wants me to go to jail for my own traffic ticket... well, that's what He wants," he continued. "But I will fight until the end. I want justice and I will show it to the world. I fight for justice."
Rivera added that he is not "money-hungry" and prides himself on being a "hard-working guy."
Shortly after Rivera filed the lawsuit, the California Lottery expressed confidence that Castro was the true winner. The lottery added that it "does not have the authority to investigate players for criminal activity."
Plain Charge
In May, Romero told the New York Post that he believed Rivera actually owned the winning ticket, although he denied stealing it and said he didn't know how Castro obtained it.
A month later, Pasadena police confirmed they had reopened a formal investigation into Rivera's allegations after initially closing the case. Last month, they accused Rivera of filing a false report to police. This could result in a prison sentence of up to six months.
In mid-November, Castro's attorney David DePaoli claimed that he had seen video footage of his client purchasing the winning ticket, which should settle the matter once and for all.
But Rivera wasn't buying it.
"It's going to explode," he said. "I don't want money, I want the truth. I'm tired. People think I'm stupid. I'm not stupid. I'm actually very, very smart."
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Source: www.casino.org
