Cab driver's friend steals his $50,000 winning Powerball ticket

Jan 27, 2016, 12:26 pm (31 comments)

Powerball

A Bronx, New York, cab driver with big money woes swiped his buddy's winning $50,000 Powerball ticket — then tried to pass it off as his own, authorities said Tuesday.

Segura Rubelin's pal Victor Castillo didn't win the $1.5 billion jackpot that sent the nation into a fever pitch two weeks ago.

But the fortunate friend knew he had won enough money to tide him over for a while — until he said the man who was like a brother to him snatched the ticket out of his hand.

And if that wasn't enough, the backstabbing lottery larcener dashed off with Castillo's winning ticket to the bodega where it was purchased and came back with another winning ticket — one worth a mere $4.

"He was my friend, but he is no longer," Castillo, 66, said through an interpreter. "We were like brothers. He betrayed me. I'm still in shock."

Castillo, who also drives a cab, joined Rubelin and other drivers at a Bronx diner Jan. 14 — the day after the historic Powerball drawing — to check the winning numbers.

"When I got three, I said I was winning," Castillo said. "He snatched it from my hand and ran to the bodega. He came back and threw me a ticket that only won $4. I knew the numbers I played. I knew I won."

So did the bodega workers. They got it all on video — and shared the evidence with cops.

"We saw everything on the videotape," said Wagner Cruceta, manager of La Fuerza, the Bronx bodega where the $50,000 ticket was purchased. "Victor bought the ticket. The other guy came to check it but left. It was not nice."

After Rubelin, 40, left the diner, Castillo tried to track him down at his mother's house, where Rubelin had been staying.

"He never came home," recalled Castillo, who said he had a receipt to prove he purchased the ticket. "Then I called the cops."

Following an investigation, Rubelin was arrested Tuesday and charged with grand larceny.

Rubelin's relatives said he was behind on rent he was paying for a Washington Heights apartment, where three of his kids live with their mother and grandmother.

"We've been waiting on him to pay the rent we owe," said the kids' grandmother Segunda Paduani, 65. "If he would have had the money, he would have paid it. He's always helped with the rent."

Rubelin also has another 10-year-old boy that lives with him in the Bronx.

"He would normally pay the rent on time, but sometimes he would be late," Paduani said.

But Rubelin told his mother, Delfina Felix, 66, that Castillo owed him money — and that he told him that instead of paying him back, he should buy lottery tickets for both of them.

"He's not a thief," Felix said. "He's an honest man."

But Rubelin, who was released on his own recognizance at his arraignment late Tuesday, had made plans to flee to the Dominican Republic, according to a criminal complaint.

"It was both our ticket," Rubelin told The News after he was set free. "I only went to the store to check the numbers. I was going to split it 50-50 with him."

A state lottery spokeswoman, Carolyn Hapeman, declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing. She cautioned lottery players to be careful with their tickets.

"We encourage people to sign the tickets upon receipt," she said.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Daily News, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

Don't tell anyone...at least wait til the $ is in your bank account !

sweetie7398's avatarsweetie7398

That's not good

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

LOL you cant fix stupid

Raven62's avatarRaven62

It boils down to: Trust No One!

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

Money is the root of all evil, but I wouldn't mind having more of it!

jarasan's avatarjarasan

NY values? Money the root of evil? Greed is universal? 50K is enough to motivate?

No Pity!

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Silence is key Wink so did Mr. Castillo get the ticket back and cash it in for the winnings What?

eddessaknight's avatareddessaknight

Quote: Originally posted by jarasan on Jan 27, 2016

NY values? Money the root of evil? Greed is universal? 50K is enough to motivate?

No Pity!

avaritia facit homines stupidos

Greed makes people stupid.....

 

Fortes Fortuna Juvat

Eddessa_Knight Sun Smiley

Bleudog101

I'd say Adios to that 'friend' (fiend) too.  Best thing to do is sign it.  On to those folks from TN who flashed that 1/3 of the $1.6 billion ticket on TV.  Imagine if it had fallen into a toilet or somehow got lost?  That's why safety deposit boxes are made for.  It made me cringe.

music*'s avatarmusic*

 The opening paragraphs are a little confusing. It made sense when I saw the photos.

 One of the many cardinal rules of lottery play is, "Be quiet" "Do not tell anyone" 

 Sign the ticket.  and more

Disapprove

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Jan 27, 2016

 The opening paragraphs are a little confusing. It made sense when I saw the photos.

 One of the many cardinal rules of lottery play is, "Be quiet" "Do not tell anyone" 

 Sign the ticket.  and more

Disapprove

Most of the comments on this article are basically that he should not have said anything until he collected the money, but if you read the article, you would have seen the same thing I did.

"Castillo, who also drives a cab, joined Rubelin and other drivers at a Bronx diner Jan. 14 — the day after the historic Powerball drawing — to check the winning numbers."

"When I got three, I said I was winning," Castillo said. "He snatched it from my hand and ran to the bodega. He came back and threw me a ticket that only won $4. I knew the numbers I played. I knew I won."

They were together at the diner when Rubelin grabbed the ticket out of Castillo's hand after Castillo announced he has won.

If you were with other people (checking the winning numbers) and saw that you won, could you not show any emotion or say that you won?

music*'s avatarmusic*

 Thank You TheMeatman2005 for your help. Following rules is difficult sometime. The rules are there to help.

Lurking

crazyjaney

Quote: Originally posted by Raven62 on Jan 27, 2016

It boils down to: Trust No One!

This.   Trust no one.

lincolnAbe's avatarlincolnAbe

Good for the old man.

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