The New Jersey deli owner who won the $338 million Powerball jackpot last week sliced off a piece of his prize to pay nearly $30,000 in back child support yesterday.
Pedro Quezada, 44, appeared in Passaic County Family Court in Paterson, NJ, and cut a certified check for the payments, rounding the total up from the $29,490 he owed dating to 2009.
The jackpot's sole winner has five children ages 5 to 23. Three are minors, his attorney said.
In court, the newly minted multimillionaire said he will be moving his kids into his new home.
"My children will be living with me from now on," said Quezada, who spoke through a Spanish interpreter and wore earphones to hear translations of the proceedings.
Because he chose the lump-sum option, Quezada received about $152 million last week after taxes.
It is the third-largest lump-sum payment in Powerball history.
Quezada beat 175 million-to-1 odds when he bought the winning ticket at a liquor store in Passaic using the Quick Pick method.
Normally, the state Lottery Division satisfies judgments and liens before the winnings are released but failed to do so this time.
Even though he's paid up, Quezada will continue to owe $141 in child support per week until he can petition the court and prove that his children are, in fact, living with him.
His lawyer, Paul Fernandez, said that the younger children had been living on and off with Quezada over the years and that their mother and Quezada were on good terms. He declined to elaborate.
"This is just a bump in a road. He always had a relationship with his kids," Fernandez said.
"He purposely overpaid to show how much he wanted to keep his children," the attorney added.
Judge Ernest Caposela offered Quezada some free financial advice.
"There are going to be a lot of people who are going to ask you to invest in things because of your good fortune," Caposela said, "but investing in your children is the wisest investment you can make."
After the hearing, Fernandez dismissed rumors that Quezada had offered to pay his neighbors' rent for a month or two.
"While his heart goes out to families in need," Fernandez said, "his family comes first." [Editor: this is not an outright denial.]
Fernandez, who is also handling Quezada's trust, said the now-retired deli owner from the Dominican Republican has other benevolent plans.
"He wants to set up a foundation for homeless children in the Dominican Republic and here."
I am glad he got this over with
Good luck to him and his future!
I hope he becomes a good father to all his kids and doesn't think that throwing money at them and buying them everything they want is being a good father.
Well he finally got the big check.. congratulations to him.. I pray and hope he does well in all of his furture endeavors.
I hope he will spend more time with his kids and not just sending child support checks. Also I suggest he buys a lot of condoms because he will be getting lots of action after winning all that money.
Your on the right path Pedro, taking care of you kids setting up trust
wishing you and your family all the best.
I thought he was married
lol since when has marriage stopped people from doing whatever? Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Sanford, John Edwards, Elliot Spitzer, Larry King, Tiger Woods....sad but true
But with Arnold Schwarznegger he will say I'll Be Back to his kids and support them. -.- Sorry cheesey pun, had to be done.
Grats to Pedro getting his finances in order.
"My children will be living with me from now on," said Quezada,
Smart Kids: daddy $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
LOL, I agree
I wonder how much ole attorney Paul Fernandez and his friends are going to skim off of this guy? Methinks they will be the real lottery winners when this is all done. Naive, trusting, uneducated client who has never had or dealt with large sums of money. A dream come true.
I am surprised he got his money so fast.
This is probably one of the worst people that could have won.
I see a lottery curse unfolding.
Perhaps you should call him and ask him what his fees are
Law Offices of Paul Fernandez & Associates, phone# 973-523-5353 ...
This is one of the best guys to ever win the Lottery, money will be distributed amongs his loved ones just the way Divine has planned . I'm so glad people with negative attitude here did not win !!
He is not the same as Jack. Look at his smile, then look ay Jack.
I am guessing when this is all said and done Pual & Co. will pocket about 75% of this man's money. It will disappear into fees and bad investments. I am guessing his decision to hire this man was more about his last name than whether he was an honest, competent and trusthworthy attorney. For $150+ million, believe me, I am going to spend more than a week researching and vetting lawyers, accountants and financial advisors. I'll run background checks on your grandmother if I deem it necessary.
I wont need a Lawyer, and my financial planners name is Moe.
I thought Jack would have at least purchased a set of teeth? Perhaps a stiff drink was more important?
where do you buy teefe? do walmart sell them?
moe- money..moe money lol
No but you can get some Grillz and make do till you find some teefe.
we should buy Jack some teefe, write to him and see how much he needs?
yup...it'll be bling it up for 2 years or so...buy eveyone on the block hondas pay their rent also and so on and so forth.Have parties with women whom otherwise that wouldn't even lookin at cha
I may suck at betting numbers but I can sure retire if betting on people had monetary value...this likely will end up tragic (or very close to it)somewhere down he road.I can smell it.
He may as well practice saying;;"can ya spot me a bogey bro"..lol
Teef are overrated.
There probably ain't a whole set of teef between me and everybody for 10 miles around me.
And you don't need teef for a stiff drink anyway.
Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go to the baff room.
You guys are COMPLETLEY WRONG on this one and I wish there was a line in Vegas. What a poor judge of character you guys must be.
Moe would charge a very small percentage on a sliding scale.
I hope I am wrong..I don't wish any ill-will towards the guy,it just wreaks of doom and gloom in my book.
It sound a lot like you are wishing doom on someone.........
All you have to do is "consider the source" and realize that Pedro is NOT a dope head drunk like Jack and his family.
"Sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand."
-Cool Hand Luke
Check this one and let us know how much he charges. http://www.compak.com/
Well I would pull a Lorraine Bobbit just saying
lol
Remind me to stay away from you, dallas...
Let me ask a question...... What do you think Pedro would say if someone suggested (in his native language) Hey Pedro, grab up $700k in cash and head down to the strip club"..........
He would probably say, why not an even million?
I can't say really,but I get the strong feeling he's gonna look like that geico commercial with the motorcylclist made of money and it's flying off him while he's riding
lol
My hubby just told me he was getting a male chastity belt
OMG lol.. I met her one time. I swear. She was working as a manicurist (afterwards...maybe 1996 or so) at a Northern VA hair salon and I went in for a haircut. They introduced me to her and I said Hi but I had no clue who she was then. During the time I was there, I saw all these women come in to book manicurist appts. with her for their boyfriends/husbands and giggle nervously(now is that freudian or what?). I thought how odd and she must be really good and only realized who she was weeks after when I saw something in the Wash. Post about her working there. She was not there long and left to write a book but I am not sure it was ever written or published.
You have no idea how small she is...about 4 ft. 8 and 95 lbs at best.
Oh my small world I would be to scared to trust her with sharp objects
He WILL go broke
I wouldn't let her give me a manicure.
And I sure wouldn't go to any weenie roasts at her house either!
lol I remember the t-shirts they were selling all over, "Manassas, a cut above the rest" with a drawing of a knife.
Stop, I'm gonna have nightmares!
Thrifty's attorney announced at a press conference this afternoon, "My client will play the lottery SOME DAY."
Lol No they didn't
Heh,heh,heh,heh,heh...
LOL, I never went back to a 7-11 after that, was afraid to see what might be on the lawn.
I truly hope this guy keeps his money, and that his newly hired attorney doesn't take him to the cleaners. That he paid off his child support debt first shows he's got his heart in the right place; family first. Btw, I didn't know ol' Jack Whittaker was a doper, I thought he was just an arrogant idiot who refused to allow anyone to tell him anything...
Actually he was a nice guy who didn't know how to handle that much money.
And he didn't know that throwing money at kids is one of the worst things you can do.
He did some good things too.
I believe he meant well.
Lord knows I won't cast the first stone.
Lol good one
I would say that as we can see, he is a god father. He now has the kids and I think that is wonderful because at least he will have a hand is raising them and can provide a good education for them. Some men don't even want to help. Give him a chance, let him buy them what he thinks they should have, remember--he didn't have much!
Good father? He had at least 5 kids with God knows how many women and was not taking care of them. His child support is $141 a week and he owed $30,000. That means that he paid no child support for almost 4 years. Does a man that paid no support for years and years sound like a good father to you?
I agree! People are posting as if this man is some kind of hero. He bought a PB ticket and got lucky. He didn't run into a burning building to save people.
yeah good, bad , saint, or sinner, you have the same chance. how you survive depends on you. now pass the popcorn,
"That he paid off his child support debt first shows he's got his heart in the right place' family first."
No, he didn't. It is automatically deducted by the state if you owe child support. Gosh, the man won over $300 million and he's suddenly a great family man because instead of going to jail he paid off his back child support. Let's throw him a parade.
For the record, that was Jack Whittaker I was talking about, not Pedro.
I agree with you. Of course I never met the man but judging from all the stories, he sounds like a lost soul.
how about who ever won the PB recently for $50 mill jackpot? i bet hes happy the other guy has all the media attention!
booze and lottery came before his kids.
NO you idiot that law caught up to him, they make him pay or jail! Hello.
He has the kids because is better for his checkbook.
Question:
Why did the law took so long to caught up to him.
Answer:
Well they are incompetent as well.
Been a father is not just having a relationship with them, you have to put food on the table NO EXCUSE ON MY BOOK
Now he has a chance to turn things around, but I seriously doubt because he is hardwire different than a normal person
Don't have children you can't afford. period
The mother of this children are idiots too for letting this looser (human garbage) see the children, it is very simple you don't provide food you don't get to see them that's it.
One thing I cannot stand is anybody doing any kind of harm to the elderly or children is the lowest point of a human been.
Hey even smoking near a child should be considered child abuse!!!
Is that hard to comprehend?
Really?
Am sure that we all have something in our lives tht people are not happy about how we chose or path. However, part of what u stated isn't true because 3 of his kids are by his wife and DO live with him. It would look very bad if the previous 2 kids wld not be able to share in his wealth by loving with him, like his arital kds.
We can only speculate abt his future and hope to wish him well---you are right though that he just got lucky...
good post and thank you
Do we really know how and why he got behind, no we don't. And am sure if he didn't win the lottery, the amount would have grown...U r right about harmng children because I know a few that could care less abt thier child's (that do not live with them) future.
This is just a discussion and shld not be written as a condescending topic to those that post.
I play my lottery at the liquor store all the time but do not buy liquor. However, not sure in this guys case. He just had a $1 and a dream, it paid off. I just have a $1 and a dream and am hoping for the same...don't we all?
Remember, he didn't pay it---since it was in the records by the courts that it was outstanding---the lottery had to deduct that first before they gave him his final check.
Just like if you won the lottery and owe student loans, I may not have wanted to pay them but regardless the lottery had to take out the government's money first!!!!!!
I didn't know you can buy lottery tickets at a liquor store in Oklahoma
learn something new everyday. Now I have an excuse to go the liquor just saying
He said he would no longer be working at the bodega he has owned in Passaic, New Jersey for seven years, and will insist that his 23-year-old son, who runs the store, will quit the job as well.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2299067/Powerball-winner-Pedro-Quezada-shocked-ticket-worth-338million.html#ixzz2PPZrRtJ5
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Seems to me if he own this Deli, then why didn't he keep up his child support?
Perhaps he was paying in sandwiches, and the state failed to recognize those payments
LOL
His son is going to have to realize his Bodega days in that area are over, permanently. He'd be subject to kidnapping and/or extortion/robbery in no time.
The well-wishing of the neighborhood will eventually give way to jealousy, vindictiveness and misdirected anger and vengeance by the entitlement types in the area.
That's the sad commentary of life nowadays.
Exactly, well said!
Well said
Pedro Quezada has enough money so now he can afford to purchase 'the rosetta stone', so he can learn how to read, write, & speak English. He's been in this country for over 20 years & still needs to speak through a Spanish interpreter & wear earphones to hear translations of the proceedings. Horrible! Is Pedro Quezada a U.S. citizen or an illegal alien?
Im sure it would politcally incorrect to say if he is "illegel"....
If he lived in AZ he would be having problems with the Sheriff right about now.
I always think of Ridge as an eccentric political history tenured professor at Vanderbilt University.
Do you think he would also quaify as a Guggenheim fellows, as THIS man did?
http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/04/two-vanderbilt-humanities-professors-named-guggenheim-fellows/
DING DING DING
Doubtful.
And especially doubtful if his true identity were revealed along with a compendium of his posts here at LP.
Good point. Im going to work on pronouncing "compendium" in case I ever need to say it in public some time.
I like this judge's advice- its right on. Invest in your family. I wonder if the neighborhood is going to be in an uproar since Pedro's lawyer said the " paying rent for the block is false?" I guess if those words did not come out of his mouth its not looking like his reneged. .
I think if I merely posted a picture of myself, it would defy what you might imagine I looked like. To some degree, I think there would be an element of surprise as to the identity of any of the posters here on LP. I lived in TN for many years and he either lives there or has done some extensive research!
The attorney asked PayDro, "Did you make this pledge in a public setting?" "Were you recorded at the time?" "Is there any way we can be legitmately challenged if we refute these statements?"
3 NOs postioned the attorney to publish a semi-denial.
If he lived hear for 20 years and doesn't speak English why is he going to bother now that he is kiss my butt rich.
wasn't Jack Whittaker already a millionaire when he won?
Pedro will probably have some new neighbors when he gets his new home so what his old neighbors think won't matter as he moves forward.
Tyler- Whit was a " successful" General Contractor from what l read, but no sooner did he win the JP that former clients were coming out of the woodwork & suing him for faulty work..
The plumbing leaks, the staircase is shoddy work, the this the that. He had to hire an attorney just to fight off these NEW charges for existing work from awhile ago that came out of left field.
Like l always say " Claim Anonymously and half your troubles are over. This guy went in front of cameras saying his gonna do this etc, and when people could not get to him, they went after his contractor business. Good thing Pedro sold the bodega, sooner or later someone who have found something wrong there as well.
dallascowboyfan, my error! I moved to Dallas now but the comment I was trying to make was just because someone plays lotter at the liquor store, it doesn't mean they are there to buy liquor.
I buy my tickets at certain liquor stores in Dallas.
Can't you just feel the bigotry and hatred oozing from between SOME of the words and lines in this Thread? They try to disguise it, but they fail. And what really makes them sizzle is the fact that a hard working, Hispanic immigrant won with a QuickPick!
Maybe it's a different group of people posting in this thread but I saw the same kinds of feelings expressed when three hard working excutives from a Boston finanical management firm won a large jackpot a year ago. Some people just get upset when anyone other than someone they know or themselves wins a large lottery jackpot.
Or just do honest work.
Pedro is my 3rd favorite lotto winner next to Cynthia Stafford and Rebecca Jamison.
Pedro is my least favorite winner now that he wont pay anyones rent.
Pedro is a jackass.
Yes and apparently still is. Just a much more lonely and bitter one.
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/254605
Pedro obviously had money to buy lottery tickets and plenty of food on his table. Why was child support left unpaid for so many years? Makes me think his Lawyer told hin to say "Im going to help the homeless"
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/254605
Thanks for the link..... https://www.lotterypost.com/news/254605
"Nobody knew I had any money," Whittaker said. "All they knew was my good works."
It sounds like Jack blames everyone else for his problems, even though he killed several people by enabling their drug habits and addictions. What a loser.
rocketman jimmy4164 your funny
Im starting to get the feeling that Pedro should be deported. You got what you came for, now get out.
Jammy...... Burnin up the fuse up there, all alone.
I will be my first and most favorite lottery winner if I ever win a jackpot.
i don't think he had a choice with the child support because the state already new, or my bet would be he would still be avoiding them.
now he's trying to act like a loving, caring daddy.
oh this dad can not say no to his kids just like jack W.
Surely its more "good advice" his expensive Lawyer told him to say!
I like hearing that RJOh will be his own favorite winner. Lottery players are winners.
I will avoid the lottery insanity. I will buy a lottery ticket today.
i got a feeling it aint gonna be good
IMA B D Big PB JP Winner.
Looks like a good sharp one too.
Good Luck
Yep, he is such a hard working and great guy that he did not pay his child support for that least FOUR years. What a great man, he should get the key to the city also.
Tanks
Congratulations Pedro. Some day my boat will come in, for sure. I won the lottery,sort of. I sent an idea (Slogan) for a company logo, some years ago, near the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. This company is a multi-level marketing company. An administrative assistant informed me that it was an excellent idea and it would be untimely to use it. I'm still waiting.
No where on the Internet can I find that he either IS or is NOT a legal citizen. This leads me to believe he is NOT a legal citizen and the media is being hush hush about it. His Lawyer must be getting paid for overtime.
Do you think an alian invader should be allowed to walk away with such a large jaclpot?
this is all we have until we get some new news
When I win the jackpot, Im going to become an investgative reporter and report to LP.
He would be welcome in Vegas ......
sounds like they need it,
he can hide out in az they will never find him there
There are casinos here...... I know a guy that takes $30k at a time to play $5. slots.
how long do it take to spend that kinda money
Expected losses are $25. per hour @ Vegas casino. Im thinking much higher at RES. casino.
The Arizona Desert hides many secrets- one can be buried out there and never found, some say Jimmy Hoffa is out there buried under a cactus plant.
Abandon mine shafts are quicker AND easier.
you should be out digging for that Gold
Digging ditches is easier, and it pays more.
How did you know that I was a Guggenheim Fellow?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ic5vMbXQvU
Momma told me any time a person knows that much about a particular subject, he or she is being PAID TO KNOW.
I asked, "Momma. what's your subject?"
She shoved her wedding band in my face and responded, "YOUR DADDY".
God Bless Mommas...
I am a 66 year-old life-long virgin who never had the opportunity to do the "be fruitful and multiply" act. Except for the black fathers who forcibly raped the black mothers, I have no comprehension how the black men who recently became fathers of the 72% of black babies that have been born recently of wedlock, were selected by the black women to become fathers. I am a black man who has never been selected. I would not be surprised, that if I won the $152 dollars, that I would have no offers to try to lose my viginity unless I was blessed with a wife who would offer me a chance to try to do the "be fruitful and multiply act", and if she was young enough to have children, I would be willing to try in vitro fertilization if that is the only way I could have children. Since I would not want a 92 year-old lady for a wife, why would a 40 year-old lady, who can still have children, want me for a husband? I suspect that at least 75% of black women hate coitus. I think that now Pedro Quezada has a large number of women from which to choose from if he longs for a wife. I wish I had a wife.
In court, the newly minted multimillionaire said he will be moving his kids into his new home.
"My children will be living with me from now on," said Quezada.
New Home? That sounds Great, hope is far away from the "Block."
Ya know jimmy, you and I have a strange and wonderful relationship.
You're strange - I'm wonderful.
<------- pops in!!!! haha what i miss? besides all you lovely off the wall posters...... other then that forgot what i was going to say... must be all those darn squirrels that stole those easter eggs from the kids Sunday....
Hi Frank and welcome to LP. Your post is open and "frank". I hope you get what you want out of life. You deserve it.
If you played those numbers for tonight 4/3/2013 you are a winner! $15!
Hmmmm...Lets see...he pays child support...To the best of my recollection that would mean he is a legal citizen or carries the proper legal documents to be here in the USA. A court would have a hard time enforcing child support on a person who technically is not a citizen or green card holder ....
Please be considerate that this country was founded on immigrants trying to make a better life for themselves. He can't be an Illegal immigrant if he operated a store for 26 years...He had to have proper documentation to establish a business here in the USA....Even if its a Visa , it is honored under US codes.
May this man live a long and wonderous life!
$23, the way I add it up.
Woulda been $62 with the Powerplay.
Wow what a NON uplifting story..A dead beat dad immigrant who's family he really did not care for was probaly on welfare while he did not pay support ..He wins millions while real Americans are in the financial negative..ThankS American politicians for being so dumb and caring for the wrong ones..America Stinks
A. There is a difference between "immigrants" and illegal immigrants.
B. In AZ the Sheriff busts eateries run by illegal immigrants all the time.
Glad to hear you won something!
I made two errors in my above message (I was in a hurry typing it in a library before my guest usage time expired.): "$152 dollars" should be "$152 million dollars", and "viginity" should be "virginity". Everything else is correct.
Hello Frank, and welcome to the LP. I really hope Pedro takes hiw vows to his wife seriouslyThe does not need anymore drama in his life.
I hope you find a wife.
Welcome to Lottery Post, Frank.
Put it in God's Hands if you want a wife, Frank.
Tell Him if it's His will that you have a wife to send you one and it will be done.
Best of luck on all accounts.
Ronnie- Irrelevant.
Huh? Someone said REAL AMERICANS?
So...which tribe? Cherokee? Lakota? Apache? Blackfoot?
GameGirl- Irreverent.
Real Americans don't sneak over the fence or crawl in through a hole to "immigrate".
If he really wanted a wife I think he would just go ahead and marry someone.
Native Americans are real American. No immigration needed.
Or maybe he don't wanna go through a string of floozies and soiled doves like I did fore I found a good one.
Reminds me of a line from a Johnny Cash song:
I've had all that I wanted of a lot of things I've had
And a lot more than I needed of some things that turned out bad
Actually, it reminds me of a George Jones song too:
I need four walls around me to hold my life
To keep me from goin' astray
And a Honky-Tonk Angel to hold me tight
To keep me from slippin' away
Heres one I just thunk up myself..........
If you got a hankerin to do some marryin, stop sippin and do some clippin.
I'm thinkin' his situation might be a little more like this:
Now the smoke fills the air in this honky-tonk bar
And I'm thinkin' 'bout where I'd rather be
But I burned all my bridges and I sank all my ships
And I'm stranded at the edge of the sea
Chippewa
Founded by immigrants who wanted a better life? That was a very long time ago, now we are a flop house for those who want handouts.
Those immigrants many moons ago, also brought Cholera, smallpox, Killed my people by the thousands, and when they wanted our land, the quite simply pushed us off and relocated us, and when we rebelled, they killed more of us, nothing says I'm an immigrant who wants a better life, more than those men who shot cannons at our homes and chased us down on horseback, those that survived were forced to go to boarding schools, beaten for speaking our own language, they cut our hair and forbid our religion. Let's not forget that they disarmed us and prevented us from hunting for food, instead they made us dependant on a government who had no use for us to begin with.
Now we have people coming here who don't like the way things have been run, so they want to make this country as miserable as the place they left.
Really, think about American history, think about the people coming here who want to turn our country into the one they just left, Sharia law ?, over my dead bloody body.
I will fight for whats left.
Well said Sully. I agree.
Roger that.
He is such a good father, it is really nice to think that his children are his priority. Now he can provide his children good education.
That's a good decision the Powerball Jackpot winner did!