A Powerball lottery player who claims to have won a $44 million prize in August says he has yet to receive his winnings.
Jerry, a California man who did not give his last name, said he won the huge prize on Aug. 19 and still hasn’t seen a cent after more than two months.
Lottery officials told KABC that it is common for payments to be made six to eight weeks after your claim and can often take longer.
But Jerry said he’s frustrated by the long wait for his money.
‘They won’t tell you: “By this date, you will receive the funds.” They won’t tell you that. They leave it open, so you’re sitting there, waiting every day, waiting to receive these funds,” Jerry told KABC.
Jerry, a Californian who did not give his last name (pictured), said he won the huge prize on August 19 and still hasn’t seen a dime in more than two months.
He said he earned $44 million in August.
Jerry said he was excited to win the massive lottery at that time.
‘It was exciting in a really subtle way: you don’t anticipate (the) six numbers. ‘Six numbers on a Powerball are… chances are you’re going to die or get struck by lightning before you win that one,’ he said.
While Powerball wins can be a lifeline for winners, they often come with their own problems.
Earlier this month, the winner of a $2 billion jackpot won his lengthy legal battle against a man who claimed to have stolen his winning ticket.
José Rivera, 43, claimed that the $2 billion jackpot won by Edwin Castro, 31, in November 2022 was his and that Castro had stolen his ticket.
A Los Angeles County judge dismissed the case on Sept. 30 because Rivera did not have the ticket in his possession.
“Players are solely responsible for protecting their tickets against theft, loss, damage or destruction,” the judge said in documents obtained by TMZ.
‘The person in possession of a winning lottery ticket is the presumed owner/winner.’
José Rivera (pictured), 43, claimed that the $2 billion jackpot Castro won was his.
In July, the billionaire lottery winner was spotted kissing 24-year-old Payten Vincent.
The judge issued the tentative ruling in August and it became final on Tuesday because Rivera never filed a response.
Castro took the lump sum option after earning $2.04 billion in November 2022, bringing the total down to $997 million after taxes.
He used his large earnings to buy a luxury home for himself, another for his parents, several sports cars, and splurged on exotic trips.
Rivera reported to the Pasadena Police Department that Castro “stole” the winning ticket from him.
Police and California Lottery investigators attempted to find out if the alleged crime took place, but he has since been charged with filing a false police report.
Edwin Castro won the $2 billion jackpot in November 2022
Rivera claimed that the ticket was stolen by its former owner ‘Reggie’, also known as Urachi F. Romero.
Romero said The New York Post that he saw Rivera with the winning ticket on November 7, the same night he claimed to have bought it at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.
He also stated that he later received threats from Rivera but has insisted that he did not steal the ticket and that he does not know Castro.
In July, the billionaire lottery winner was spotted kissing Payten Vincent, 24, outside Los Angeles celebrity hub Nobu.
Castro deleted her social media accounts after her record lottery win, but her new partner already has 125,000 followers on her Instagram account, where she has posted selfies of herself partying with celebrities like rapper Flavor Flav and DJs Cedric Gervais and Diplo. .