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Convicted computerized drawing fraudster argues Iowa court appealNews Story
The attorney for a former lottery official accused of fixing jackpots in several states argued Thursday that his client's conviction last year on fraud charges should be thrown out. Eddie Tipton, the former Multi-State Lottery Association computer security director, appealed his July 2015 convictions related to fixing an Iowa Hot Lotto game in 2010, which resulted in a 10-year prison sentence. He is free on bond during the appeal. Tipton's attorney, Dean Stowers, told a three-judge Iowa Co
Jun 16, 2016, 8:18 pm - Lottery News

Accused lottery murderer recapturedNews Story
The suspect accused of murdering a Georgia Lottery winner has now been caught, after he escaped from prison Wednesday. Officials found Earnest Holcomb in Ocilla around 8:20 p.m. Thursday evening. Authorities followed up on a tip that led to Holcomb's capture, they aren't releasing specific details about where he was found to protect the identity of the tipster. But Sheriff Bobby McLemore did say that he was found hiding underneath an Ocilla house. Holcomb escaped from the Ben Hill Count
Jun 10, 2016, 10:03 am - Lottery News

Suspect accused of murdering lottery winner escapes from Georgia prisonNews Story
One of the people charged with murdering a Georgia Lottery winner has escaped from a south Georgia prison, authorities say. Earnest Anthony Holcomb, 28, got away from the Ben Hill County facility about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sheriff Bobby McLemore said. Holcomb was in the exercise yard when he made it onto the roof and slipped out of his jumpsuit before running away. Authorities still don't know how Holcomb escaped, since there are 40 cameras in the area, McLemore said. Holcomb and six ot
Jun 9, 2016, 12:55 pm - Lottery News

South Florida musician gets prison term for lottery fraudNews Story
A South Florida musician who helped funnel money from elderly victims of a $500,000 lottery hoax was sentenced Tuesday to three years and five months in federal prison. Delroy Drummond, aka Top Banga, 26, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, admitted he worked with allies who contacted seniors all over the U.S. and duped them into believing they had won a lottery prize. The victims were told they had to pre-pay several thousands of dollars in taxes and fees before their winnings could be turned
Jun 1, 2016, 8:07 am - Lottery News

Jamaican lottery scam drives man to suicideNews Story
Includes video report An ongoing sinister scam continues to cause some victims to lose their entire life savings from thieves operating from a country and an ocean away. The special Jamaican Organized Crime Task Force is taking on scammers who cost unsuspecting Americans hundreds of millions of dollars each year. They find all the tools of the trade. Cellphones, cash, and lists of phone numbers are used by suspects. Some go as far as driving a nail through their computers to disable the
May 24, 2016, 8:23 am - Lottery News

Florida woman admits role in lottery fraudNews Story
A Broward County, Florida, woman pleaded guilty Monday to her role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing lottery fraud that targeted seniors in the U.S. Elizabeth Gonzalez, 25, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, a nurse, pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud conspiracy charge in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Her husband, Delroy Drummond, a musician who also goes by the name Top Banga, age 26, has been locked up has been locked up without bond since January. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
May 17, 2016, 7:54 am - Lottery News

Investigators find another friend of Tipton who cashed rigged lottery prizeNews Story
Scandal goes beyond jackpots to smaller prizes too A friend of the former security director of the Multi-State Lottery Association who is implicated in a jackpot-fixing scandal was given a winning Kansas Lottery ticket worth $15,000 in 2011 as an engagement gift, she said Wednesday. Iowa prosecutors had Amy DeMoney testify Wednesday in a hearing for Eddie Tipton, who faces trial in July for ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering charges for games he allegedly fixed in Colorado, Kans
May 11, 2016, 5:54 pm - Lottery News

Lottery scam investigation comes to TennesseeNews Story
Includes video report The Tennessee Education Lottery is cooperating with investigators as they look into one of the most elaborate lottery scams in U.S. history. The scam was the work of Eddie Tipton, a former security director with the Multi-State Lottery Association. Tipton has been convicted of fraud and sentenced to ten years in prison. But his brother and his old college roommate were recently arrested as the jackpot fixing investigation expanded. Prosecutors in Iowa say sur
May 11, 2016, 7:56 am - Lottery News

Police track down burglary suspects by tracing stolen lottery ticketsNews Story
Police identified two New Jersey men who they say were caught on surveillance video stealing lottery tickets and jewelry from a home in Upper Pittsgrove Township last month. The two suspects, identified as Joshua Robinson, 32, of Deptford, New Jersey and Eric Gilch, 28, of Blackwood, New Jersey broke into a home in Upper Pittsgrove back on April 12, according to investigators. The men encountered the family's dogs and started scouring the home until the homeowner noticed the men on surveillan
May 10, 2016, 10:56 am - Lottery News

Third suspect surrenders in national lottery rigging scandalNews Story
A third man charged in a still-unfolding, multi-million dollar lottery rigging scandal investigation surrendered to authorities in Iowa on Thursday, his attorney said. Robert Clark Rhodes II was arrested last spring in his home state of Texas by authorities there, after Iowa prosecutors charged him with two counts of fraud for helping a then-top lottery security official allegedly rig multiple jackpot drawings. Rhodes challenged the arrest in court, claiming investigators did not have suff
Apr 28, 2016, 3:43 pm - Lottery News