EDWIN Castro’s lottery rival has made a bizarre claim after seeing photographs of the winning $2.04 billion ticket – as he refuses to withdraw his complaint against the Powerball winner.

Los Angeles gardener Jose Rivera is suing Castro for allegedly cashing in a stolen ticket, which his team has denied.

Edwin Castro has kept silent about the lawsuit, but his team has denied the allegationCredit: The US Sun – Commissioned by The US Sun Digital edition

Jose Rivera passed his mental health assessment in his criminal caseCredit: Connellan

The back of Castro’s ticket was not signed and featured no address or numberCredit: Edwin Castro

Earlier this month, The U.S. Sun revealed the first photographs of the lottery ticket taken by Castro, featuring greasy fingerprints from the former mechanic.

Rivera claimed he had signed the back of his ticket and written down the address of his sister’s house in Pasadena, where he has been staying while sofa surfing.

Images of Castro’s ticket show it was left blank, and Rivera has now seen the photographs of the slip, insisting they are “not right”.

He told The U.S. Sun, “You know what, that ticket is signed. They erased my information.

“If you see carefully, there’s my phone number, they erased it with some chemicals.

“I’m gonna tell my criminal attorney to take it to a lab so they can do a test and see what kind of chemicals they used.

“I know my name was on that ticket, and my phone number.”

Rivera has pleaded not guilty in Pasadena after being accused of filing a false police complaint.

PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION

The U.S. Sun can confirm his attorney for the case is new and is trying to speak with the California Lottery, who have backed Castro from the beginning.

Rivera, whose full name is Jose Rivera Campos, passed a psychiatric evaluation in his criminal case some months ago and insisted, “I’m not crazy.”

He was given a public defender at Hollywood Mental Health Court and appeared before Judge Martha A. Matthews.

“The court finds Mr Campos is competent to stand trial,” she announced before the case went back to the main court in Pasadena.

Rivera cried immediately after hearing the decision and later told The U.S. Sun, “I’m very happy with the results that they gave me.

“They asked me some questions that were kind of weird. If I hear voices. I’m like, ‘I don’t hear nothing’.”

Meanwhile, Rivera has been given just days to file papers in his civil case after he began representing himself and admitted he did not understand the legal process.

It appears his case could soon be thrown out, while he faces a hefty fine and prison time if he’s convicted of filing a false police complaint.

The 49-year-old, whose first language is Spanish, has still not responded to a demurrer that was filed six months ago and has lost several lawyers.

He begged for more time to hire a lawyer, and Castro’s attorney Michael Freedman argued that they filed the demurrer back on February 29.

Freedman said via Zoom, “Half a year has gone by without any opposition. I don’t think it’s appropriate at this late juncture to allow further leave to amend.”

Crowfoot agreed to give him until August 16 to file an opposition to the demurrer.

But he told him he needed to hire a lawyer immediately and scheduled a court hearing for August 29.

Crowfoot explained this would be his last chance otherwise the case likely will be dismissed.

Rivera is also suing his former landlord, Urachi ‘Reggi’ Romero, for allegedly stealing his lottery ticket before it supposedly ended up in Castro’s hands, but he has yet to hire a lawyer.

He told The U.S. Sun he believes Rivera did select the winning numbers but didn’t take the ticket, and does not know Castro.

A tentative ruling in Rivera’s civil case, signed by the judge, reads, “Plaintiff notably does not allege that Castro was ever in possession of the ticket purchased by Plaintiff.

“Instead, Plaintiff alleges that Romero ‘asserted stories of how the ‘lost’ winning ticket found its way to [defendant].’

“Therefore, there does not appear to be a controversy between Defendant and Plaintiff regarding the ownership of Plaintiff’s ticket.

“Furthermore, no ‘actual controversy’ exists between Defendant and Plaintiff as to the lottery winnings because a bettor’s right to a share of the winnings ‘accrues solely from possession of a winning ticket, not from the mere purchase of a ticket.’

“Accordingly, the bettor ‘possesses no enforceable right as to the other participants, absent a winning ticket.’

“Instead, Plaintiff alleges that Romero ‘asserted stories of how the ‘lost’ winning ticket found its way to [Defendant].'”

Rivera will also appear in criminal court in Pasadena on August 13.

The front of the lottery ticket shows the winning numbers on the sixth lineCredit: Edwin Castro

Defendant Jose Rivera arrives at Pasadena. Court ahead of a criminal hearingCredit: Ruaridh Connellan / The U.S. Sun