Investigators say the man convicted of tampering with Iowa Lottery equipment to win a Hot Lotto jackpot helped friends and family cash in jackpots from several other state lotteries.
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Court records show Eddie Tipton was charged with tampering with the lottery so his brother, Tommy Tipton, and his friend, Robert Rhodes, could win prizes.
Eddie Tipton who was the former head of security with the Multi-State Lottery was sentenced on September 9 to five years for each of the two counts, to run consecutively.
James Saunders, director for investigative operations for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said Edward Raymond “Eddie” Tipton, 52, of Norwalk, a former security official with the Multi-State Lottery Association, who previously was convicted on a felony offense, turned himself in Friday and was charged with ongoing criminal conduct in what was described as an ongoing national investigation.
Tipton now faces additional charges of ongoing criminal conduct. Authorities believe Tipton’s brother and a friend received winnings from the prizes.
Tipton has denied the charges and is appealing his conviction.
The investigation that led to Tipton’s first trial reads like something from a movie script. The case had significant implications for the integrity of the lottery, with one former Multi-State Lottery Association security chief admitting at trial that Tipton proved it’s “sadly possible” to rig the games.
Authorities are asking the public to come forward if they know of instances where someone who did not buy the winning ticket has been asked to claim a lottery prize in another state. Texas businessman Robert Rhodes, a longtime friend of Tipton’s, is facing two fraud charges connected to the case but has contested his extradition to Iowa. As an employee, Tipton was prohibited from playing the lottery in Iowa. That person has been linked to Tipton’s Hot Lotto case. He said it has expanded into a nationwide investigation that seeks to identify instances where individuals may taken advantage of personal relationships to perpetrate fraud against a lottery game.
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“It is appalling that the person who was at the center of this worked for a lottery vendor”, said Rich. He posted a $25,000 bond Friday and was released from the Polk County Jail. “This s breach of trust against lotteries, our players, our games and the billions of dollars at stake for the worthy causes that lotteries benefit”.
