A rival of billionaire Powerball jackpot winner Edwin Castro has revealed he is now bankrupt and unable to play the lottery, but insists he is the “true” winner. ing.
Jose Rivera previously said he still plays the California lottery But he told The Sun on Saturday He “doesn't have a dollar in his pocket.”
“I can't do it anymore,” he said. “I had bought some tickets, but I've already finished them. I don't want to play the game right now.
“It's sad that I don't have a dollar in my pocket anyway. Me and my family are struggling.”
Rivera says “it's not about money right now,” but he still has a mission to “prove that I'm a real winner” and claims “Castro lied.” .
Mr. Rivera, who is charged with filing a false police report, came forward after Mr. Castro won a historic $2 billion prize and said the ticket was “stolen” by his landlord and ultimately returned to Mr. Castro. He claimed he had bought it before it was in his hands. .
Castro's lawyer, David De Paoli, said surveillance footage shows Castro buying the ticket at Joe's Service Center.
Despite the footage, Rivera “declared war” on his rival and claimed “not guilty because I am the rightful winner.”
“Castro is a fake, a liar, a liar,” Castro said in a furious rant outside a Pasadena courtroom on Thursday, according to the Sun.
“See you in court soon, Castro. Liar. Castro, you're going to fall.”
Rivera, who is no longer a worker, told The Sun that she “cannot afford a lawyer right now” because legal fees are “too expensive.” He is being represented by a public defender in the criminal case.
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
Rivera is scheduled to return to court for criminal proceedings on February 20th. A case management hearing for the civil case will be held on February 27th.
DePaoli said the civil suit is “baseless.”
“At some point, it will become clear that Edwin G. Castro is the rightful owner of the ticket,” he told the Sun.
