Crime & Safety
Powerball Winner, Father Of 5, Charged With Sexually Assaulting Girl: Prosecutor
Pedro Quezada, 49, of Wayne allegedly assaulted the girl when she was between 11 and 14 years old. He won $338M in the Powerball in 2013.
WAYNE, NJ — A township man, a father of five, and former Powerball winner was charged with sexually assaulting a young girl, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announced Wednesday.
Pedro Quezada, 49, was charged with two counts each of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Valdes said in a news release.
The girl was allegedly abused when she was between 11 and 14 years old when he lived in Passaic, Valdes said.
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Quezada won the $338 million Powerball lottery jackpot in 2013.
After winning the millions, Quezada reportedly went back on a promise to pay his neighbors' rent and dumped his girlfriend of 19 years without giving her a penny, The Daily Mail reported.
Find out what's happening in Waynefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He also skipped out of his apartment without paying $700 in rent he owed, the Daily Mail's report said; he was about $29,000 behind in child support payments when he won the jackpot, according to NBC New York, which he later paid.
First-degree aggravated sexual assault carries a maximum term of 20 years in state prison. Eighty-five percent of the sentence must be served before Quezada is eligible for parole. Second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child each carry a maximum term of 10 years.
Quezada must also register as a sex offender under Megan's Law and would be on parole supervision for life if convicted and when released from prison.
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Photo: Pedro Quezada, 49/Passaic County Prosecutor's Office
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