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Lottery scammer busted by Border PatrolNews Story
A woman accused in Illinois and Florida scams and featured on the TV show America's Most Wanted was arrested in El Paso, Texas, a report said Wednesday. Maria Gomez, 49, was among 16 illegal aliens U.S. Border Patrol agents detained when they were spotted crossing a river near the U.S.-Mexican border. The high-profile arrest occurred Monday evening when Border Patrol agents witnessed a group of people crossing the river four miles from the Zaragoza Bridge, trying to sneak into the Unite
Apr 26, 2006, 6:50 pm - Lottery News

N.C. Lottery prohibits illegal aliens from collecting big prizesNews Story
The estimated 390,000 illegal aliens in North Carolina are welcome to spend money on the state's new lottery, but they may not be allowed to collect. Lottery officials said state law does not prohibit illegal aliens from collecting a prize, but the lottery's claim policies may effectively bar them from getting the money. N.C. lottery rules require a winner of $600 or more to claim their prize at a lottery office, showing a photo identification and proof of a Social Security number. If the
Apr 14, 2006, 1:42 pm - Lottery News

Florida lottery winners indicted on tax chargeNews Story
Alex and Rhoda Toth were down to their last $24 in May 1990 when they won $13 million in the Florida Lotto. The Toths said then that they hoped the money would buy them a simple, quiet life. They ended up with anything but. Their wealth led to family squabbles and bankruptcy court. On Tuesday, it led to a federal grand jury indictment. The Hudson couple are charged with filing fraudulent income tax returns in 2000, 2001 and 2002. If convicted, both face up to 24 years in federal pris
Apr 14, 2006, 7:48 am - Lottery News

Lottery winner is arrested for failing to appearNews Story
Winning the lottery proved to be unlucky for a Craven County, North Carolina, man. Publicity over the $10,000 prize Henry Wooten Jr. won earlier this week netted a visit from Craven County Sheriff's deputies. But they weren't looking for a loan. They were looking to arrest him. Thomas Bersch, with the Craven County Sheriff's office, said Wooten, 20, was wanted on a warrant for failing to appear in court for larceny, and breaking and entering. Bersch said authorities were given in
Apr 14, 2006, 7:03 am - Lottery News

Man arrested after redeeming stolen lottery ticketsNews Story
A 24-year-old Michigan man was arrested this week on a charge that he stole more than $20,000 worth of lottery tickets from his employer and redeemed the winning tickets at businesses across Wayne County. State Police said Jerry Allen Gallup worked at Hazel's Party Store in Taylor, where he was accused of taking Michigan Lottery Instant Game Tickets. The winning tickets were cashed in at more than 30 locations in Wayne County, police said. Police said Gallup confessed to the theft, an
Mar 16, 2006, 6:52 am - Lottery News

464 gaming machines seized in S.C.News Story
Businesses say despite payouts, games aren't illegal gambling South Carolina authorities seized 464 gaming machines and computers Thursday from 13 York County businesses accused of hosting illegal gambling just over the N.C. state line. Drawing attention were an increasing number of Internet cafes where customers played video slots with prepaid cards. Business owners defended them as legal sweepstakes. Authorities, however, said the cafes, which pay out money to winners, are thinly veile
Mar 3, 2006, 3:43 pm - Lottery News

Iowa couple arrested in lottery fraudNews Story
A Waverly, Iowa, couple is facing criminal charges for allegedly cashing counterfeit lottery tickets. Lottery officials allege Scott and Jennifer Brandhorst redeemed the forged TouchPlay tickets at a Hy-Vee store in Cedar Rapids, one for $300 and another for $325. Cedar Rapids police reportedly matched the couple with a surveillance video. Investigators arrested the pair as they were leaving their home at 1868 Dakota Ave. in Waverly on Monday. They were taken to the Linn County Jail. T
Feb 8, 2006, 3:53 pm - Lottery News

Illinois lottery winner gets 30-month prison sentenceNews Story
A man who won an Illinois lottery jackpot less than a year ago was sentenced to 30 months in prison Friday on gun and drug charges, federal officials said. Eric Wagner, 33, of Freeport, pleaded guilty last year to selling a firearm to a felon in 2004 and illegally distributing marijuana in 2004 and 2005. A federal judge in Rockford also fined Wagner $35,000, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. Wagner and eight others purchased a winning Lotto ticket at a Freeport superma
Feb 4, 2006, 7:15 am - Lottery News

Lottery Post member turns up the heat on the Hoosier LotteryNews Story
Is the Indiana Lottery vulnerable to inside tampering? By Kevin Leininger Fort Wayne News Sentinel You'd think Jim Grimes would be happy. After all, the retired Noble County engineer, whose concerns about the integrity of the Hoosier Lottery were the subject of a column in June 2004, helped spark an investigation that led to three indictments in an alleged million-dollar scam. But, if anything, Grimes is even more frustrated than he was when we first talked nearly two years ago - even
Jan 31, 2006, 6:06 pm - Lottery News

Indiana lottery rigger faces 50-year penaltyNews Story
William C. Foreman could spend 50 years in state prison if he's convicted of stealing secrets from the Hoosier Lottery in an effort to rig a million-dollar scratch-off game.But the former lottery security official's trial has been delayed so he can challenge the constitutionality of the nation's harshest penalty for breaching lottery security.The state's top lottery official, Esther Q. Schneider, favors the stiff penalty to deter inside jobs that threaten public confidence in the Hoosier Lottery
Jan 30, 2006, 8:57 am - Lottery News