THE man who accused Powerball winner Edwin Castro of cashing in his alleged stolen ticket for the $2billion jackpot could be charged with filing a false police report, The U.S. Sun has learned.

Castro, 31, claimed the huge prize earlier this year following the November draw but is being sued by Jose Rivera, who alleges he bought the ticket.

While the civil case at Alhambra Superior Court continues to drag on, the Pasadena Police Department has given The U.S. Sun new information about their investigation after Rivera also filed an official complaint.

Back in June, cops confirmed the case was “active” after initially being closed, and said they were working closely with California Lottery investigators.

Officers were trying to pinpoint where the supposed crime would have taken place, as Rivera struggled to piece together what happened to his alleged winning ticket.

Giving an update on the case, City of Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian has now told The U.S. Sun there has been a huge development.

Police now believe Rivera lied about his ticket being stolen, as the tables have turned in the case and Castro could now be off the hook.

Derderian said: “I was just told our police department turned over the documentation to our City Prosecutor for potential misdemeanor charges for filing a false police report.”

Pasadena City Prosecutor Michele Beal Bagneris and Rivera’s lawyer did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s requests for comment.

In California, if someone is convicted of filing a false police report they can face jail time of up to six months, probation, and fines of up to $1,000.

COURT DRAMA

Rivera’s lawyer, Estela Richeda, previously told The U.S. Sun they spent two hours at the Pasadena Police Station waiting to speak with officers and demanded the alleged theft be investigated.

Richeda said: “We personally went there. We said we wanted a case open, and that’s what they told us they were going to do.

“We were there for about two hours and met with two officers and insisted [they investigate].

“We said the lottery is telling us you are supposed to [look into it].

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“Before he had been there by himself and apparently they had closed the case.”

Rivera claims the ticket was stolen by a man called “Reggie” on the same day, who has since been identified as Urachi F. Romero and is listed as a co-defendant in civil court documents.

Romero spoke to the New York Post to confirm he was Rivera’s former landlord and admitted he saw him with the lottery ticket, but had no idea what happened to it.

Castro’s lawyer, David De Paoli, has always maintained he did not cash in a stolen ticket, has no connection to Romero, and is the legitimate winner of the jackpot.

He told The U.S. Sun that the lawsuit is “baseless” and believes Rivera will not be getting a dollar, as they wait to view CCTV footage of the ticket being bought. 

‘BASELESS LAWSUIT’

“There is no basis in fact for the suit at all. At this point, we’re just working on service but there are huge problems with the complaint,” he said.

“At some point, it is going to become clear that Edwin G. Castro is the legitimate owner of the ticket.”

The only public comment Castro has made thus far was read out during the press conference held at Joe’s Service Center, a gas station in Altadena, California, where the winning ticket was purchased. 

“As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system,” his statement read, as he skipped out on the event.

“The mission of the California Lottery, which is to provide supplemental funding for California public education … makes this a huge win for the state. 

“As someone who received the rewards of being educated in the California public education system, it’s gratifying to hear that, as a result of my win, the California school system greatly benefits as well.”

The U.S. Sun was present in court at the most recent hearing, where it was revealed all of the defendants will need to be served again as the case was thrown into chaos. 

A case management hearing scheduled for this month has now been continued until at least February 27, 2024.