Former Iowa Lotto employee accused of fixing game to win jackpot

Updated
Former Iowa Lotto Employee Accused Of Fixing Game To Win Jackpot
Former Iowa Lotto Employee Accused Of Fixing Game To Win Jackpot



Iowa Lottery officials are overhauling how its winning numbers are picked after one of its employees allegedly used a high-tech ploy to scoop the jackpot for himself.

Eddie Raymond Tipton worked at the Iowa Lottery as its security director and is believed to have uploaded a virus into the computer that picks the winning numbers at random, back in 2010.

Prosecutors say a month later, Tipton bought a ticket that, surprise, won 14.3 million dollars. More than a year went by, before a company registered in Belize tried to claim the money.

But Iowa Lottery officials were suspicious - and refused to pay up. Investigators spent four years trying to track down who purchased the ticket. Eventually, a co-worker identified Tipton from security footage of the sale.

Tipton is charged with two counts of fraud. His trial was slated to start this week but his lawyers asked for more time to work on his defense. His new court date is in July.

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