Landscaper Sues Landlord for Allegedly Stealing His $2 Billion Winning Powerball Lottery Ticket: Report
A long-simmering legal battle over a Powerball lottery ticket valued at a cool $2.4 billion has reignited in recent weeks amid conflicting tales of who owns the prize, RadarOnline.com has learned.
California landlord Urachi "Reggie" Romero claims his former tenant, Jose Rivera, showed him the winning ticket before the Powerball was announced. He even explained why he chose the numbers 10, 33, 41, 47, 56 and red Powerball 10.
"I asked him why he picked two 10s," Romero told the Post. "He said it was the date his parents both died. He picked 47 because that's how old he is. He also said his dad always wanted a 1956 Chevy truck, so he picked 56. He had a reason why he chose every number, and he told me this before (the drawing)."
Romero further stressed he had nothing to do with the ticket being sold or the eventual winnings being claimed.
Romero claimed he received several threats since Rivera filed a lawsuit naming him as the person who "stole" the valuable ticket for the largest lottery jackpot in US history.
"I could be grimy or sheisty, but in reality, Jose Rivera did show me that ticket before he knew it was the winning ticket," Romero told the outlet. "But I don't know how he lost that ticket."
"I hope my name will be cleared because it is weird that I'm in the middle of all this money, but I still have nothing. How can I steal that ticket worth billions and not have a dollar?"
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The $2.4 billion saga took an unexpected twist when, months after the November 28, 2020 drawing, Edwin Castro — not Rivera — emerged as the official Powerball winner and seemingly pocketed the prize.
Rivera's attorney, Estela Richeda, claimed Romero "took the ticket" from a table but didn't detail how the men knew each other, or Castro for that matter.
Romero claimed he has no idea why the landscaper thought he stole the ticket and suggested that a friend of Rivera's could have taken it from the night before the drawing.
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"(Rivera) is also a gardener who works at many places," Romero said. "It could've just fallen out of his pocket, but I don't know how it got to Castro."
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Rivera moved out but has reportedly been seen "around town."
The official California Lottery said that they are confident the rightful winner took home the prize.
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