A New York lottery lawyer doesn’t understand why Jose Rivera, who alleges in a lawsuit that his winning $2 billion Powerball ticket was stolen in California, waited so long to file legal action.
Jon Bell tries to make sense of the move by Rivera, who filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles County court system more than three months after the draw was made.
In the online summary of the case against Edwin Castro, identified as a legitimate jackpot winner; the California State Lottery Commission; and Urachi F. Romero, the appeal appears submitted on February 22. However, the print run was made on November 8.
“This is a complicated situation because, usually, the person who complains that the ticket was stolen and claims to be the rightful owner shows up first,” Bell said in an interview with The US Sun. “So I think it’s a little strange that he waited so long,” he added.
In the lawsuit being heard in the Alhambra Court, Rivera alleges that the same day he bought the ticket, Romero (previously identified as “Reggie” in the legal document), appropriated the ticket.
The complaint does not specify how Romero stole the ticket; neither how it passed from his hands to those of Castro nor the relationship between the two.
Castro has not commented publicly on the allegations. However, this gap in the complaint is one of the questions that his lawyer has brought before the judicial authorities.
For his part, Romero declared last May to the New York Post that he did not steal the winning ticket; although he acknowledged that Rivera, to whom he rented a room in his house, showed him the winning ticket and explained what led him to select each of the numbers.
“What you really want is to take action before (the prize) is paid,” said the lawyer.
The chain of events alleged in the lawsuit from the purchase of the ticket to the time it was cashed out doesn’t add up very well either, in Bell’s opinion.
“Castro is the one who claims it; José Rivera is the one who says that the ticket was stolen; but then, there is a third (person) involved that Rivera alleges stole the ticket from him, ”he explained.
“There seems to be a lot going on there and a lot to examine; but from what I see so far, the California Lottery is confident that Castro is the correct winner and the owner of that ticket,” he pointed out.
Bell, who has seen multiple disputes over lottery winnings, recommended that players — especially if they buy group tickets — spell out the names of each person participating, either through mail or a written contract.
The expert also highlighted the importance of taking photos of the ticket, signing it if applicable, and placing it in a safe place.
“The odds are stacked against you, so people think, ‘why bother? It’s just bona fide, it’s just fun,’” she added.
“But if you win, it’s a lot of money in litigation,” he added.
“Even if it’s just an email, it needs to be sent to people who aren’t (giveaway) participants,” Bell said.
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