The New Jersey man who won $338 million in the Powerball lottery last weekend is wanted on charges of unpaid child support, according to the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.
An arrest warrant was issued for Pedro Quezada in 2009, the sheriff’s office said. He has five children ages 5-23 and owes a total of $29,000 in back child support, spokesman William Maer said. It is not clear which children the payments are for.
Quezada’s son, Casiano, said his father has hired an attorney and is “working through it.”
A child support warrant usually results in payment, an installment plan or arrest, Maer said. He declined to comment on the Quezada case because the investigation is ongoing.
Every person who wins more than $600 in the New Jersey Lottery is checked for outstanding taxes, liens, child support payments and the like, lottery spokeswoman Judith Drucker said. The funds owed are deducted from the winner’s final payment, she said.
Quezada has chosen a lump-sum cash jackpot payment that will amount to about $152 million after taxes.
