Eddie Tipton released from prison on parole

Jan 31, 2022, 7:44 am (24 comments)

Insider Buzz

Convicted lottery rigger continues to plead innocence

By Kate Northrop

Lottery rigging mastermind Eddie Tipton has been released on parole after serving a prison sentence for 4½ years.

In 2017, Eddie Tipton, 58, was sentenced to a maximum 25 years in prison for rigging multiple computerized lottery drawings in several states so he and other accomplices could collect multi-million-dollar jackpots.

In a plea deal, the former lottery security chief also agreed to pay about $2.2 million in restitution for those crimes to the states in which he rigged the drawings, including Colorado, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Kansas. The amount was later reduced to $1.65 million.

Now, the lottery rigger is out on parole after having served less than five years in prison.

In November, Tipton made headlines once more when he released a statement, claiming that he was pressured into pleading guilty and that he did not rig any lottery drawings.

"I certainly regret my actions," Tipton told the court in 2017. "It's difficult even saying that with all the people that I know behind me that I hurt."

At the time of his trial, Tipton's lawyer went on record saying that his client was ready to accept his punishment.

"He looks forward to putting this entire matter behind him and moving on with his life after he serves his sentence," Tipton's lawyer, Dean Stowers, had said prior to his sentencing.

It seems that the lawsuit Tipton filed in January 2020 led somewhere, since the Iowa Board of Parole has approved the release of the former information security director of the Multi-State Lottery Association.

Tipton's lawsuit attempted to halt all restitution he was ordered to pay until a new trial is held. At that trial, he said, he would have the opportunity to present documents and evidence that could persuade the court to reverse his sentence.

Upon pleading guilty, Tipton explained how he rigged the lottery drawings, saying that he "wrote software that included code that allowed me to understand or technically predict winning numbers, and I gave those numbers to other individuals who then won the lottery and shared the winnings with me."

His lawsuit, however, backpedals on the admission of guilt, which he says he was pressured to make.

"The sentence is cruel and unusual because it has been applied to an actually innocent person simply to see that he is charged with a crime," Tipton says in the lawsuit.

In addition to being coerced to plead guilty, he argues that Iowa did not have the authority to charge him for restitution in states it has no jurisdiction over.

According to the Iowa Board of Parole, the board members concluded that there was "a reasonable probability" Tipton could be released without posing a threat to the general public or himself.

The Board's online database shows that he was released to Texas and will be supervised by parole officials there.

A new trial is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Terry Rich, who was the CEO of the Iowa Lottery at the time of the scandal, told the Iowa Capital Dispatch that he was not surprised by the Board of Parole's decision.

"In any major crime — whether it's murder, assault or robbery — most people don't get closure," Rich said. "My bottom line was that we would get closure with him admitting that it happened, and that all three defendants confessed and said how they did it. That was my bottom line. The number of years in the sentence — I left that to the court and for the parole board to decide, and I am fine with those decisions."

And although Tipton is now claiming innocence despite having admitted guilt, Rich said the feeling of closure isn't diminished.

"Whether he's got a good case or not, that is the fight of the current lottery group and the attorney general," he continued. "I wanted to do whatever it took to figure out who did this, and I think that was our step in this process."

For a full play-by-play of the Eddie Tipton story, you can check out Lottery Post's video on the biggest lottery scandal on history on YouTube.

Timeline of the biggest crime in US lottery history

The following is a compilation of Lottery Post news coverage chronicling the Hot Lotto mystery and subsequently discovered crime.

We start the timeline with a news story indicating that only 3 months remained for the $16 million Hot Lotto jackpot to be claimed.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Bleudog101

Wise guy thinks he's so smart taking parts of the Fourth Amendment.   Cruel and unusual punishment?   No, that would be sentenced to hard labor.   He had three hots and a cot and now got over IMHO.

It's OK, nothing he has done or will do will only affect him.  If his record, hopefully not, gets expunged, then good luck finding any decent job.

MsBee18

5 years sounds like an injustice. Of course he's not a threat to himself or anyone else so that's the threshold for release? How much of his restitution has he paid back? Did he forfeit any assets? Ludicrous

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Kinda puts a whole new meaning to Criminal Justice Reform by serving just a smidge over 1/6th of the imposed  sentence.  Bang Head

noise-gate

Not in the least surprised really. Unlike scam artists that take real money from his or her victims, the parole board could have determined that no money was literally taken from any one person. It's simply an assumption of what if's.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by noise-gate on Jan 31, 2022

Not in the least surprised really. Unlike scam artists that take real money from his or her victims, the parole board could have determined that no money was literally taken from any one person. It's simply an assumption of what if's.

Actually, this guy would disagree with you about no money being taken from any one person.

jjtheprince14

Some people here will actually be happy he is being released bc he "won"

I hope he's banned from all lotteries!

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

While collar crime. So tired of how leniency is delved out. 

The prosecutor only wanted the verdict not the sentencing. Seems he stopped short of his civil duty. 

 

Tipton is guilty. Always was.

Mata Garbo

Someone should remind Eddie that if you are caught committing a crime, and you then explain exactly how you committed the crime along with your co-conspirators. You cannot come back later and claim that someone forced you to admit guilt. No one believes you.

No Pity!

QuickDrawDude's avatarQuickDrawDude

Let's hope that Tipton is a rare bad apple and that most lottery security officials have integrity in maintaining a lottery free of corruption.

Think's avatarThink

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Jan 31, 2022

Wise guy thinks he's so smart taking parts of the Fourth Amendment.   Cruel and unusual punishment?   No, that would be sentenced to hard labor.   He had three hots and a cot and now got over IMHO.

It's OK, nothing he has done or will do will only affect him.  If his record, hopefully not, gets expunged, then good luck finding any decent job.

I smell a book deal...

Tiptons tips on a how to RiNG in a lottery jackpot prize...only 49.95.......

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Quote: Originally posted by Think on Jan 31, 2022

I smell a book deal...

Tiptons tips on a how to RiNG in a lottery jackpot prize...only 49.95.......

More likely a NetFlix series. LOL Hopefully they do not gloss over the Bigfoot hunting side plot. That's my favorite part.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

I wish he got 20 years but when the prior story popped up about his new claims, I posted that he had a point. I do not think it had anything to with his guilty plea but a procedural issue/error on the restitution.  Releasing him now saved embarrassment on that issue...assuming he drops his new case.

Cassie8620's avatarCassie8620

Quote: Originally posted by MsBee18 on Jan 31, 2022

5 years sounds like an injustice. Of course he's not a threat to himself or anyone else so that's the threshold for release? How much of his restitution has he paid back? Did he forfeit any assets? Ludicrous

Yep.ASSETS? I'm not going to be surprised if he has some green cash $$$ "somewhere the feds did not locate."

A comfy-cozy jail.prison cell, commissary fill up, wit all kinds of goodies, pen pals heck, did u know you're able allow now to um sit back relax, video visit to phone calls day/night in the cell wit' a tablet, for video jail calls, several  visits face-2-face & on tablets etc., that's a umm

"REAL PUNISHMENT." #I don't think so ...

 

My father, was a prudent man. Always would say the reason guys like(i showed him TIPTON coverage, over here and other news stories on him, and daddy say:

 

  1. ) Reason some "criminals" who procure a HUGE amount $$$ Frown Hundreds of thousands of dollars $$$ sell(lots of dope/guns)engaging in fraud stuff, 

to bank robberies or other street crimes, i.e., what Tip did, as others, premised on it is a light sentence, and it's worth it, to live "well even if just a lil while.

 

      2.)Most now a days are even getting off on a technicality at times, APPEAL or   in his case, just a um "lucky break, feasibly." (and not only men criminals but women too)so i am not Stunned, nor shocked, nor surprised, he is a free man ,happy as can be,No No when it's clear he should NOT be out of prison, i am sure he has a grand ole' non-stressful vacation a short few years, Some "punishment.huh." smh

Cassie8620's avatarCassie8620

Quote: Originally posted by cottoneyedjoe on Jan 31, 2022

More likely a NetFlix series. LOL Hopefully they do not gloss over the Bigfoot hunting side plot. That's my favorite part.

Cotton, yep.

 

LOL

yyyep I'm not going to hate on the crook, either. IF i was him, i am sure iwould be inking a deal if it's the right one profitable for me$$$ (i'm sure he is thinkin of that.) Only Late 50s, so that is still "MIDDLE AGE" Not OLD man yet. i know he happy he got off." Wow. smh 

 

i mean, let's be serious. . . why not?He is out so why not. #smdh

He got off real easy from others in for, well,   "Marijuana"  so i do not support it, or a crime one committed Decades,

and got LIFE or 1/2 of century worth of time at 13 to 18, teen-child, where,

rehabilitation does apply to some, but honestly, he really got off scott-free IMO. He is 1 lucky u know what. Yep. 

Subscribe to this news story