A New Jersey man who made headlines in 2013 when he won a $338million Powerball jackpot has been arrested on suspicion that he sexually assaulted a young girl for three years.
Pedro Quezada, of Wayne, has been charged with counts of first- and second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said Wednesday that the victim was between 11 and 14 when the assaults occurred.
Reversal of fortune: Pedro Quezada, 49, is pictured in his mugshot, left, after being charged with sexual abuse of a child. In 2013, Quezada emerged as the winner of a $338million Powerball jackpot (pictured right at the time)
Quezada, a father-of-five, took home a lump sum of $152million. Pictured: Quezada holds up the promotional Powerball jackpot check of $338million in March 2013
The 49-year-old Quezada, a father-of-five and grandfather, faces up to 20 years in prison, if convicted of the criminal charges.
Valdes said there did not appear to be any other victims.
Quezada, an immigrant from Dominican Republic with a teenage son and three daughters, ran a bodega in Passaic when he won the lottery in 2013. He took a $152million lump sum payment after taxes.
‘My life has changed,’ he said at a press conference when he was announced as the winner. ‘It will not change my heart.’
Eight months later, Quezada’s ex-girlfriend Ines Sanchez, sued him for a portion of the jackpot, arguing that the man purchased the winning lottery ticket with money earned jointly by the couple.
Quezada’s live-in girlfriend Ines Sanchez (left) sued him for a portion of the winnings but later dropped her suit
During a press conference in March 2013, a beaming Quezada told reporters that he would buy Ines ‘whatever she wants’ with the money. But his lawyer later said that Sanchez did not deserve any of the winnings because the couple, who lived together for 10 years, was never legally married.
According to the woman’s attorney, a large chunk of the lump sum has disappeared including $57million that has been sent to Quezada’s native Dominican Republic, $300,000 spent on the home in Clifton, and $20 million that can’t be located.
In March 2014, Ines Sanchez dropped her lawsuit against Quezada.
Quezada was also accused of reneging on his promise to pay the rent of his whole street for a month and was sued by a contractor who claimed he didn’t pay for renovations to a home he bought in Clifton.