Edwin Castro’s greasy $2.04 bn Powerball ticket that ‘proves he’s winner’ finally revealed as fight over prize continues

EDWIN Castro’s $2.04 billion Powerball lottery ticket can be revealed for the first time today, along with new information that could see him win his court case and prove he’s the legitimate winner.

The U.S. Sun has spent more than a year investigating after Castro was sued by a man named Jose Rivera who claimed he cashed in his stolen slip.

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Edwin Castro

Edwin Castro

Newly-minted Castro was crowned the biggest lottery winner in American history after the draw on November 8, 2022.

The eye-watering jackpot sum was deposited into his bank account two months later, according to court documents, but he wasn’t named until February 14.

He opted for a lump sum payment and walked away with $628.5 million after taxes.

Rivera filed his initial complaint naming Castro and the California Lottery as defendants in February 2023, alleging he bought the winning ticket from Joe’s Service Center in Altadena.

Today, The U.S. Sun can finally reveal photographs of Castro’s winning ticket, a $20 Quick Pick that features ten rows of numbers and the key digits on line six.

The winning numbers for the draw were; 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and the Powerball was number 10.

The photographs were taken by Castro, a former mechanic, and even feature greasy fingerprints.

The U.S. Sun spoke with Jose Rivera following a court hearing this week in Pasadena.

‘SMOKING GUN’

He claimed he bought a $20 ticket with a mix of numbers he chose, along with Quick Pick lines, all printed on the same ticket.

Rivera is adamant he signed the back of his ticket and wrote down his sister’s address in Pasadena, where he has been living amid financial difficulties and a split from his wife.

“I signed my name,” he told The U.S. Sun on Wednesday afternoon.

A second image provided to this outlet shows Castro’s ticket does not feature any signature or address and has been left blank.

The key factor could be the smoking gun in the case moving forward, proving Castro bought the ticket.

It features copyright information and 2013, which is printed on all tickets as it’s the year California began taking part in the Powerball game.

The images of the orange slip and the video footage showing Castro making the purchase have not yet been revealed in any court proceedings.

Rivera, 49, also claimed the winning numbers were on “line six or seven” on his ticket during The U.S. Sun’s chat.

Although this matches Castro’s ticket, it is unknown whether he was shown the front of the ticket during a closed-door meeting that was set up some months ago.

When asked directly if he’d seen the ticket at all, he replied, “I can’t talk about that.”

According to sources, lottery officials previously met with legal teams from both sides to show them the video footage of Castro’s purchase.

Rivera also claimed to have a photograph of his ticket before it was allegedly stolen.

But The U.S. Sun has only ever been shown a picture of a large blur on Rivera’s cell phone.

Rivera previously said in Spanish, “I’ve got a photo I took of a pizza on November 7 which shows the winning ticket.

“I’ve got such serious and strong evidence that will destroy this case.

“I’m so tired of this case and being looked at as if I’m a fool. They know I’m the winner.”

He has given several interviews in which he accused his former landlord, Urachi “Reggie” Romero, of swiping the ticket and giving it to Castro.

Romero is still named as a defendant in the case but has not yet hired a lawyer.

Although he told The U.S. Sun he believes Rivera did have the winning ticket, he said he did not know Castro and had not benefited from the jackpot.

He went as far as to claim a friend of his, who has links to Castro, accidentally put on a pair of Rivera’s pants with the ticket in the pocket.

The pal later said, “The last time I spoke with Rivera he accused me of stealing his ticket.

“I told him ‘If you think that then don’t talk to me’ and I stopped talking to him.

“We’re talking about a lot of money, it’s not a game.”

Castro’s team says he has no links to any of the men mentioned in the complaint.

The country’s only $2billion ticket.

Carolyn Becker, California Lottery

If there were two tickets printed from the same gas station with the same numbers, The U.S. Sun understands the lottery’s digital system would have registered the sale.

It is not uncommon for more than one person to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot, according to research.

In December 2020, a 7-Eleven in Vallejo in Solano County, California sold two winning tickets for SuperLotto Plus, which was recorded and announced by the lottery.

To make things even more surreal, the jackpot was claimed by two different players who shared the same last name.

Carolyn Becker, Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Communications, said on Wednesday, “Powerball – like Mega Millions – has multiple prize levels (ways to win), and anyone can win in any of those ways.. so yes, it’s most definitely possible for more than one winner to hit the jackpot or any other prize level.”

However, she insisted Castro’s slip was “the country’s only $2billion ticket,” and that any other win would have been announced on the lottery’s website months before Rivera came forward.

They have backed Castro, 32, as the real and only winner since the lawsuit was first filed, saying they followed a strict vetting process.

Becker previously stated, “California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize stemming from the Powerball drawing in November of 2022.”

Rivera also claims he bought his ticket early on November 7, 2022, the day before the delayed draw between 6.45 am and 7.15 am.

Although there is no time printed on Castro’s Powerball ticket, he is believed to have purchased it at 2.55 pm on the same day, according to sources.

Castro’s rep and lawyer have declined to comment publicly on the civil case ahead of the next hearing on July 25.

Edwin Castro

‘DIGNIFIED SILENCE’

Joe Chahayed, the owner of Joe’s Service Center, has also declined to comment on the case in recent months.

However, he previously told The U.S. Sun he remembered Castro buying his ticket.

The lawsuit has been nothing but a headache for the sports car enthusiast , who has been trying to navigate his new life as a high-profile person in the spotlight.

He has kept a dignified silence throughout the case and has only ever made one comment about his win.

After dipping out of the press conference, he said in a press release, “I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing. As someone who received the rewards of being educated in the California public education system, it’s gratifying to hear that as a result of my win, the school system greatly benefits as well.”

Despite the legal drama, he’s still been able to enjoy his winnings, splashing out hundreds of thousands on luxury vintage motors and at least three properties in Los Angeles .

He was last pictured on a date with Payten Vincent , a 24-year-old Hollywood socialite, poet, and freelance food critic.

Did Jose Rivera buy the winning ticket?

The U.S. Sun's Katy Forrester has followed the curious case of Edwin Castro and Jose Rivera for more than a year. She feels there will be no quick end to the case in 2024.

“The Castro case has become one of the most fascinating human-interest stories I’ve covered in recent years. People love to read about big lottery winners, and we’re talking about the largest lottery jackpot ever won in America.

“Castro’s life changed overnight and he’s been splashing hundreds of thousands of dollars on everything from luxury homes to vintage sports cars. And he’s still only 32.

“But it hasn’t all been positive for the former car mechanic, and I know the lawsuit has been weighing heavily on him as he doesn’t want anyone to think he isn’t the rightful winner.

“Many love to back an underdog, and I have heard from several readers who are supporting Jose Rivera in his fight against the Powerball winner.

“But it is a very big fight, as he’s failed to provide any evidence so far that he regularly picked the same numbers from the draw; 10-33-41-47-56, and the Powerball number; 10.

“The new information provided showing proof of the ticket purchase, and Rivera’s insistence that he signed the back of his slip could provide Castro’s team with a very strong case.

“Rivera has claimed he’s broke but still fighting the win, which has affected his mental health.

“I can only hope it has been a huge mix-up and he chose similar numbers, not that he wasted valuable police time and resources.

“If convicted, he may serve up to six months in jail or pay a fine of up to $1,000.00.

“Despite previous lawyers trying to convince him to plead guilty, he still refuses and has been deemed competent to stand trial.

“The California Lottery has come under much scrutiny over the years for paying out big sums of money, despite claiming to have rigorous checks in place.

“But they have supported Castro from the beginning and never waivered.

“I believe Castro only sees the civil lawsuit as an inconvenience and not something to be seriously worried about. I don’t think he will agree to settle at any point as he can afford mounting legal fees and will want to clear his name.

“If the case goes to trial, it will be very interesting to see if the video footage of the sale is finally shown.

“It’s likely the civil case will drag on for the rest of the year as Rivera is without a lawyer yet again and representing himself.”

The pair appeared euphoric as they laughed and kissed following a romantic dinner at Nobu in Malibu.

Vincent has not yet commented on their romance but uploaded a message on her Instagram Story on Wednesday declaring, “Lover girl summer.”

Meanwhile, Rivera has pleaded not guilty to filing a false police complaint in Pasadena and has hired a new lawyer .

Attorney John Michael Flanagan told The U.S. Sun he was still gathering information and knows little about the case, as an extension has been granted for Rivera’s pre-trial conference.

The lawyer revealed he had seen photographs of Castro taken from the surveillance footage at Joe’s Service Station in Altadena.

But he said, “I was shown photographs of him at the store, standing at the desk [cash register]. But it’s not a video, I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know when it was.

“I need to know the precise time. And if the state lottery has video of Castro on that day, it should have the video for the entire day. That’s what I need to see.”

Flanagan said he understood the lottery had been “fairly uncooperative so far” and if the criminal case goes to trial he will use a subpoena to obtain evidence.

However, The U.S. Sun understands Rivera himself has seen the gas station surveillance footage, along with his previous lawyers, who have since dropped out.

He is said to dispute the timing of Castro’s ticket, bizarrely claiming it means he’s not the winner.

According to the Multi-State Lottery Association, the odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is an incredible one in 292.2 million.

Flanagan will not be representing Rivera in his next civil hearing in Alhambra on July 25.

Castro has never had to appear at any of the hearings so far but has hired veteran trial lawyer Michael Freedman of The Freedman Firm .

Rivera will appear in court again in Pasadena for the pre-trial hearing in his criminal case on August 13.

Rupert Thorpe

Alamy

The US Sun