A California Man Claims That Someone Named “Reggie” Stole His Winning $2.04 Billion Lottery Ticket
Never, ever, ever, EVER trust a dude named Reggie. I can’t believe I’m even having to remind people of this; it’s rule number two #inthesestreets, right after no snitching! But according to TMZ, a man named Jose Rivera broke both of those cardinal rules and is suing a dude named Reggie, who he claims stole a lottery ticket he bought the day before a $2.04 billion drawing and refused to give it back. Jose claims he bought the winning ticket from Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, CA on November 7 and it was stolen by Reggie that same day. And now Jose has filed a lawsuit against Reggie and Edwin Castro, the man who the California Lottery announced was the rightful owner of the golden ticket.
I can understand how Jose might be in his feelings over losing out on a $2 billion return on his investment, but he’s got no one to blame but himself for trusting a dude named Reggie to do the right thing. According to TMZ:
After the numbers were drawn, Jose says he tried to get Reggie to return the ticket, which allegedly held the winning numbers, but to no avail … with Reggie simply saying it wasn’t a winner, and if found he’d agree to give up half. Jose says he “refused to be blackmailed” and reported the theft to the CA Lottery and law enforcement.
Fast forward to this month, when a man named Edwin Castro was named the winner of the big prize and reportedly elected to collect the prize as a lump sum of $997.6 million … Jose says he submitted a claim form to the CA Lottery, claiming the ticket had been stolen and asking for an investigation before paying out the winnings.
If there’s a sexier word in English than “lump sum,” then I don’t want to hear it. I’ll make a mess of myself! As for Jose, it doesn’t sound like he has much of a case. Indications are that The California Lottery thinks he’s full of shit. They gave this statement to TMZ:
“The California Lottery is not authorized to investigate criminal activity among its players; such allegations are subject to investigation only by local law enforcement. Should a local law enforcement agency investigate such allegations, Lottery’s only role is to assist in the matter by answering questions and/or providing evidence as allowed under the law.
Further, 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.”
Where is Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face character when you need her? If she’s smart, she’s hunting down this Edwin fellow to offer her services. He’s going to need them when every Tom, Dick, and Reggie he’s ever met crawls out of the woodwork. But you don’t have to be a walking lie detector to know that when Reggie offers to “hold somethin’” for you, you can kiss it goodbye. Especially an itty-bitty piece of paper. If you do, well, congratulations; your “winning” lottery ticket is now crumpled up on Reggie’s dashboard and coated with a mysterious white power.
Pic: YouTube