THE family of Jose Rivera – who is suing Powerball winner Edwin Castro for allegedly cashing in a stolen ticket – believe his story and think he should keep fighting.
Castro is being backed by the California Lottery as officials say they have evidence he is the rightful winner of the $2.04billion jackpot.
However, questions have been raised by experts as the lottery refuses to release the surveillance footage and has stayed largely silent after the allegations surfaced.
Rivera reported the supposed theft to the Pasadena Police Department but has since been charged with filing a false complaint for “wasting time and resources”.
He has hired a new lawyer despite revealing he’s strapped for cash and now his family has broken their silence on the bizarre case.
Asked if they think he should keep fighting Castro, his sister, who asked not to be named, said, “If he has the energy, go ahead. Me.. I don’t have the energy. But I believe he’s the true winner, he makes sense.”
She went on, “Like he said, it [the ticket] got stolen. I do believe him because he’s my brother and he speaks the truth.
“But let’s see what happens. I don’t get too involved with his business, I’m very reserved.
“I just listen to him, I’m his older sister and when he needs help I’m here for him. He talks to me about it.”
The U.S. Sun has learned Rivera is one of five siblings who lost both their father to cancer in 2020 and their mother to Covid just months later in 2021.
He’s doing well, we make sure he’s okay.
Rivera’s Sister
He also previously split from his wife and mother of his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and had to move out of his former family home, which now sits empty next door to his sister’s property.
The gardener owns Rivera Landscape Maintenance LLC, but has barely worked in recent months and is also said to have lost his car
“We went through a lot,” his eldest sister told The U.S. Sun.
“Covid started and my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and then we lost both our parents.
“He has a family, I do speak once in a while to them, but they had to move out of next door [because of the split]. Things happen.”
She admitted Rivera, 49, has struggled for money having been out of work but is getting by with help from family and friends and is currently sofa-surfing.
“I don’t know about his business but he stays here and stays with my other sister, he’s between places,” she said.
“I don’t know who is paying for his lawyer, that’s his business. But he’s doing well, we make sure he’s okay.”
Rivera has hired famed defense lawyer John Michael Flanagan who represented Michael Jackson’s disgraced doctor Conrad Murray.
He was hired through Murray’s trial and manslaughter conviction for the doctor’s role in the pop superstar’s death.
The U.S. Sun spoke to him ahead of his trial date being set, and he said he’s “excited” about his new legal team.
“I feel like I’ve won the lotto again, it’s going to be fun,” he said.
LOTTERY BACKING
During the hearing for his criminal case this week, Judge Donna Hollingsworth spoke to Flanagan who appeared via video call.
The attorney said, “I was there this morning and picked up the discovery from the public defender which is about six or seven inches thick.”
Flanagan added he had spoken to the district attorney and asked for the case to be continued, which was granted.
Rivera, who has pleaded not guilty in the case, will next appear in court on July 8, 2024.
He is also back in court for his civil case on July 25 in Alhambra.
The lottery previously released a statement supporting Castro, who also has a new lawyer and is gearing up for the next hearing.
Lottery spokesperson Carolyn Becker said, “When it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has the utmost confidence in its process for doing so.
“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.”
Castro’s former lawyer, David De Paoli, also claimed he “personally viewed the surveillance footage” from the gas station where the ticket was bought, describing it as “crystal clear.”
