A Powerball lottery player who claims to have won a $44million prize in August says he has still not received his winnings.
California man Jerry, who did not give his last name, said he won the massive prize on August 19, and still hasnt seen a penny more than two months on.
Lottery officials told KABC that it is common for payouts to be made six to eight weeks after they are claimed, and can often take longer.
But Jerry said he is being frustrated by the long wait for his money.
They wont tell you, "By this date, youll get the funds." They wont tell you that. They leave it open-ended, so youre sitting, waiting daily, hoping when youre going to get these funds, Jerry told KABC.
California man Jerry, who did not give his last name, (pictured) said he won the massive prize on August 19, and still hasnt seen a penny more than two months on
He said he won $44million in August
Jerry said he was thrilled to win the massive lottery at the time.
It was exciting in a really subtle way - you dont anticipate [all] six numbers. Six numbers on a Powerball is... the odds are youll die or get hit 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 $2billion jackpot won his lengthy legal battle against a man who claimed he had stolen the winning ticket from him.
Jose Rivera, 43, claimed that the $2 billion jackpot that Edwin Castro, 31, won in November 2022 was his and that Castro had stolen his ticket.
A Los Angeles County Judge dismissed the case on September 30 because Rivera did not have the ticket in his possession.
Players are solely responsible for securing 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 presumptive owner/winner.
Jose Rivera (pictured), 43, claimed that the $2 billion jackpot that Castro won was his
In July, the billionaire lottery winner was spotted locking lips with 24-year-old Payten Vincent
The judge made the tentative ruling back in August and it became final on Tuesday because Rivera never filed a response.
Castro took the lump sum option after winning $2.04 billion in November 2022, which brought the total down to $997 million after tax.
He used his big earnings to buy a luxury house for himself, one for his parents, multiple 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 tried to find out if the supposed crime took place, but he has since been charged with filing a false police report.
Edwin Castro won the the $2 billion jackpot in November 2022
Rivera claimed that the ticket was stolen by his former landlord Reggie, also known as Urachi F. Romero.
Romero told The New York Post that he saw Rivera with the winning ticket on November 7, the same night he claimed to purchase it from Joes Service Center in Altadena, California.
He also claimed that he later received threats from Rivera but has insisted that he didnt steal the ticket and that he doesnt know Castro.
In July, the billionaire lottery winner was spotted locking lips with 24-year-old Payten Vincent outside LA celebrity hotspot Nobu.
Castro deleted his social media accounts in the aftermath of his record-breaking lottery scoop, but his new squeeze already has 125,000 followers on her Instagram account where she has posted selfies of herself partying with celebrities including rapper Flavor Flav, and DJs Cedric Gervais and Diplo.