The winner of California's $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot last year is being sued by a man who claims the ticket was stolen from him before the winning numbers were drawn.
Edwin Castro was identified as the winner of the record-setting prize in February. At the time, he said he was “shocked and ecstatic” and chose to accept the jackpot in a lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
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The same month he was identified, a man named Jose Rivera filed a civil complaint in Alhambra Superior Court claiming the jackpot should be his.
The suit was filed against Castro, the California State Lottery Commission, the state of California and a man named Urachi F. Romero, whom Rivera accused of taking his ticket.
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Rivera purchased the lottery ticket for the $2.04 billion Powerball on Nov. 7 at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, one day before the draw, according to the complaint.
Rivera alleges Romero stole the ticket that same day. The complaint did not detail how the alleged theft happen.
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NBC News has reached out to attorneys for Rivera and Castro for comment. Romero, who did not file a response in the court docket, could not be reached Friday.
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