Powerball lottery winner faces lawsuit alleging ticket theft

The victor of a grounds $2bn (£1.6bn) US Powerball lottery gully is being sued by a antheral claiming the fortunate summons was stolen from him.

Edwin Castro, who lives successful California, chose to instrumentality past November's jackpot successful 1 lump sum of $997.6m.

But present Jose Rivera, a chap Californian, says successful a civilian ailment that the prize wealth should beryllium his.

Mr Castro has not commented. The California Lottery earlier said it was assured helium was the rightful winner.

In a connection from February, the California Lottery said it ever checked prize wealth claimants and "has the utmost assurance successful its process for doing so".

Mr Rivera's suit was filed successful the Superior Court successful the metropolis of Alhambra.

He alleges that helium bought the winning summons connected 7 November 2022 - and that it was stolen aboriginal that time by a antheral who was not Mr Castro.

The ailment does not supply details astir however the summons mightiness person ended up with Mr Castro.

Powerball tickets outgo $2 and a victor has 2 options to assertion their winnings. They tin take to person the afloat magnitude successful an annuity paid implicit 29 years - but astir each winners opt for a smaller, upfront currency outgo instead.

The game, which began successful 1992, is played successful 45 of the 50 US states, the superior metropolis of Washington, DC, and successful the US territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The winnings are taxable to national taxes of betwixt 24% and 37%, and, successful astir cases, authorities taxes. Only 10 states - including California - bash not person authorities taxes connected lottery winnings. In respective locations, specified arsenic New York City, the winnings are besides taxable to municipal taxes.