NJ Powerball Winner Pedro Quezada Resolves Child Support Debt
PATERSON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New Jersey man who won the $338 million Powerball jackpot has paid his child-support debt.
Pedro Quezada, 44, appeared Monday afternoon in state Superior Court in Paterson.
Authorities said Quezada owed about $29,000 in back support for three of his five children.
During the court hearing, officials said Quezada had paid $30,000 to settle the debt. He also told the judge that the three children would now be living with him.
"It was paid today by certified check," said Quezada's attorney Paul Fernandez.
"He wants the matter to be private now. We understand the anxiety he's been through and he just wants to shelter his children from any attention," Fernandez added.
Quezada claimed a lump-sum payment last week worth $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes.
The unpaid child support payments go back to 2009. His child support payments amounted to $141 a week for the three children.
Quezada said last week that he did not know in what form he would take his winnings. He said he wanted to use some of the money to give back to his community and "help those in need."
Someone in Passaic had spread a rumor that Quezada would be taking care of his neighbors' rent payments, CBS 2's Christine Sloan reported.
However, Fernandez said that is not true.
Quezada's bodega opened for a short time Monday with his son behind the counter. No one would say if the store would eventually shut down, Sloan reported.
In fact, everything about Quezada and his plans remained a mystery.
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