Posted on: February 6, 2026, 01:23h.
Last updated on: February 6, 2026, 01:23h.
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The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is asking a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims to be the rightful winner of a $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot ticket.
Plaintiff Stacy Tru sued MUSL and the California Lottery for $1.08 billion, plus retroactive interest, in January 2025, claiming she was “at all times … the only owner of the [winning] ticket.”
Hitting Skid Row
On July 20, 2023, a day after the draw, Tru turned up at the store where the ticket had been purchased, the Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles, and was captured by news crews dancing around, claiming the win.
“I can’t even … I can’t … I’m scared right now, I’m so scared,” sobbed a then-unidentified Tru, who was wearing a baseball cap bearing the logo of “Psychedelic Water,” an alcohol substitute.
At times too ecstatic to speak, she managed to nod when asked if she was the winner. Outside she collapsed on the floor and waved her hands in the air before driving off in a BMW, according to contemporary news reports.
In the shadow of poverty and despair of Skid Row – someone has just won $1 billion,” intoned The L.A. Times of what was then the sixth largest jackpot in US history (now the 12th).
The prize was claimed months later by another woman, Yanira Alvarez, who is the only valid ticket holder recognized by MUSL and the California Lottery.
Alvarez was publicly identified as the winner in late March 2024 and opted to take the cash option of $558.1 million before taxes, rather than the annuity payout tied to the full advertised jackpot.
Fake Til You Make It
At the time, some were suspicious of Tru’s behavior at the minimart, including the granddaughter of the store’s owner who told The Daily Mail she believed was “faking” the whole episode.
She didn’t win – I’m not sure why she did that. I guess she just wanted to be on TV,” Sarai Palacios said. “We don’t know who the winner is yet. They still haven’t come forward.”
Owner, Nabor Herrera, told another news outlet he was suspicious of Tru because he didn’t recognize her.
Tru later launched a website, now defunct, in which she painted herself as a billionaire philanthropist who was available for “motivational speaking.” The site also attempted to sell “replicas” of the hat she wore when she showed up at the minimart.
In its motion to dismiss Tru’s breach of contract claim, MUSL said it was unaware of any “contract” existing between the two parties.
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