A man has alleged that the winning Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion, sold in Altadena, was stolen from him.

 The person who claims to be the rightful winner of the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, sold at an Altadena service station, is now suing the individual who claimed the prize, alleging that it was stolen from them.

The California Lottery declared Edwin Castro as the winner of the biggest lottery jackpot in history on Valentine's Day, with a lump sum payout of $997.6 million. Although Castro was not present at the announcement, the news was made public on that day.

A man named Jose Rivera is claiming that he purchased the winning $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot ticket from Joe's Service Center on Woodbury Road in Altadena on November 7, 2022, the day before the actual drawing. According to documents obtained by Eyewitness News, Rivera alleges that another man named "Reggie" stole the ticket from him and threatened to destroy it if Rivera did not split the winnings. Rivera reported the incident to law enforcement and the California Lottery after he was unable to get the ticket back following the drawing.

The California Lottery has stated that it does not investigate criminal activity among its players, as such allegations are subject to investigation by local law enforcement. The lottery also expressed confidence in its vetting process for big winners and maintains that Edwin Castro, who won the $2.04 billion prize and opted for the lump sum payout of $997.6 million, is the rightful winner.

Rivera's proposed lawsuit names the California Lottery, Castro, and Reggie as defendants. Three other tickets sold in California matched five numbers in the same drawing but missed the Powerball number, with each ticket worth roughly $1.15 million. The Powerball game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.