Posted on 12/30/2020 3:55:36 PM PST by Son House
Investigators say Tipton installed code that let the computers work as should on all but three days of the year — May 27, Nov. 22 and Dec. 29 — when they would produce predictable numbers if the drawings occurred on Wednesdays or Saturdays after 8 p.m.
Tipton admitted in court that he provided cohorts with the winning numbers for jackpots in Colorado in 2005, Wisconsin in December of 2007, Kansas in December of 2010 and Oklahoma in 2011.
The group, which included Tipton's brother Tommy Tipton and a friend, Texas businessman Robert Rhodes, also attempted to collect a $16.5 million Hot Lotto ticket in December 2010 in Iowa, but Iowa lottery officials refused to pay it because the men tried to cash it anonymously. Iowa rules require the buyer and owner of the ticket to be made public.
That led to an investigation into a potential lottery fraud. Once Tipton was identified as a possible suspect, investigators began checking for connections to other winning games and zeroed in on winnings connected to Tipton, his brother and Rhodes in the other states.
Tipton's plea deal resolves his legal situation in all of the affected states. He could get up to 25 years in prison when he's sentenced. A date hasn't been set and he remains free on bond.
Immediately after Tipton's hearing, his brother pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit theft by deception.
"My brother did provide me with numbers to play in Colorado and Oklahoma lotteries and he told me that it was illegal for him to play the lotteries but gave me the numbers to play," Tommy Tipton said.
Tipton, a 53-year-old former Texas magistrate judge and a law enforcement officer, said he's now unemployed and must sell part of his farm to pay the $800,000 in restitution that the judge ordered.
"That is financially effectively going to more than wipe him out," said his attorney, Mark Weinhardt. "Mr. Eddie Tipton does not have the resources to satisfy restitution in any meaningful degree. Mr. Tommy Tipton does and this will effectively take all of his assets."
Rob Sand, the assistant state attorney general who prosecuted the case, said after the hearing that it appears much of the stolen money is gone.
"As is the case in many financial crimes, the individuals who obtain the money usually spend it, thereafter leaving only margins of it to be recovered later. I think were in better shape in this case than we are in many cases, though," he said.
Sand said the scheme resulted in payouts of $2.2 million and he has demanded repayment through restitution from the Tipton brothers and Rhodes.
Rhodes, of Sugar Land, Texas, bought winning numbers for drawings in Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma between 2005 and 2011. He earlier pleaded guilty to being party to a computer crime and awaits sentencing.
No clue on random number algo du jour.
I haven’t kept up on the best random number algos to date.
Nowadays, I don’t work ON neural networks, but I work close to them. Even they are somewhat deterministic, the algo guys say.
Where was he on the evening of November 3?
President Trump’s speech from the White House of December 22 laying out all the fraud was COMPLETELY censored and disappeared by the media. Not a peep about it until this day.
It’s like it never happened.
Didn't you see it?
I saw it and everyone I know saw it. In fact, I watched it twice. Thanks to the Internet, the media no longer controls the news or dissemination of information.
The McDonald’s “Monopoly” game was rigged for a number of years by insiders at the game printing company. Its everywhere.
Try to imagine how insidious the fraud is from those who are experts at destabilizing entire countries while undermining and over-throwing their own.
Also remember Eddie was really an obese big guy.
Btw, it was a brilliant plan. It’s downfall was he had to involve other people to get a piece of the action.
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