Tipton Lottery Case: Parole & Restitution Update
Iowa officials revoked parole for Eddie Tipton, a man with local connections who is serving a 25-year sentence for rigging computers to win lottery jackpots in multiple states.
The Iowa Board of Parole had granted Tipton parole for good behavior back in January. The Des Moines Register Newspaper reported last week that the parole board rescinded their decision in March after Tipton got into a fight with another inmate in prison just ahead of his early release.
Eddie Tipton pleaded guilty to ongoing criminal activity in regard to the lottery scheme in 2017. The punishment included a 25-year sentence and he was ordered to repay $2.2 million in illegal lottery winnings. The Iowa Board of Parole could reconsider Tipton’s early release in a year.
Tipton had worked as a network security official for the Iowa-based Multi State Lottery Association (MUSL), a group that runs state lotteries in more than 30 states. Investigators said he installed malicious software on the computers that generated random numbers for the lotteries. The software allowed him to predict winning lottery numbers on specific days. Investigators were able to find seven lottery games in which Eddie Tipton or his associates bought tickets and won jackpots totaling $2.2 million. Tipton claims he only netted about $351,000. He has since filed a lawsuit in Iowa courts, claiming he was pressured into pleading guilty. A trial is set for Aug. 17.
Tipton’s brother, former Fayette County Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace Tommy Tipton, was one of the people who bought lottery tickets and won with numbers provided by Eddie Tipton. Tommy Tipton was sentenced in 2016 to 75 days in jail and was ordered to pay more than $800,000 in restitution for his part in the scheme. So far Tommy Tipton has paid a little over $5,600 in restitution, according to Iowa court records.
Court records indicate that Eddie Tipton would be allowed to move to Texas if he is granted parole. Eddie previously owned property in Fayette County. Those properties are now owned by his and Tommy’s mother, Lawanda Tipton.