Tipton, 53, was the director of IT security at the Multi-State Lottery Association, the organization that helps run the lottery, including picking the numbers and maintaining security, in 37 states. A prosecutor in the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed a total of six charges against Eddie Tipton on Thursday, including one count of racketeering, a theft by fraud charge and four computers crimes charges. The charges stem from a suspect December 2007 Megabucks drawing in Wisconsin that allegedly won Tipton and a business associate a prize worth $783,257, according to a criminal complaint. Tipton, 53, was convicted of two fraud counts in Iowa last year after a prosecutor argued that he tampered with random number generators in 2010 to win a $14.3 million Hot Lotto prize. After the conviction, Iowa investigators linked Tipton, his brother and a longtime friend, Robert Rhodes, to suspect jackpots in Colorado, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Kansas and was charged with additional counts of ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering. Defense attorney Dean Stowers has maintained Tipton's innocence since he was first arrested, and said Thursday he will voluntarily appear to answer the charges. A 13-page criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court offers some of the most detailed allegations to date made public to date in the case about the role of Rhodes, a Texas businessman and friend who had known Tipton since the early 1990s. "Tipton told Rhodes that there was a way that Tipton could give Rhodes winning lottery numbers and asked if they should take advantage of that," the complaint reads. Tipton, who was an employee of the Multi-State Lottery Association and responsible for programming the software used in the random number generator (RNG) machines used to pick the winning numbers, allegedly planted a modified code in the RNG software that produced a predictable set of winning numbers when certain conditions were met. Rhodes later submitted the winning ticket for payment, and Rhodes and Tipton allegedly split the proceeds totaling $783,257.72. Tipton and Rhodes are both charged with Engaging in Racketeering Activities and Theft by Fraud.
– A former head of lottery security tied to potentially rigged drawings in five states is facing new charges in Wisconsin, NBC News reports. According to the Des Moines Register, six charges were filed against Eddie Tipton on Thursday. They include racketeering, theft by fraud, and computer crimes, Fox 6 News reports. Tipton used to be the director of IT security for Multi-State Lottery Association, which handles lottery picks and security in 37 states. Authorities allege Tipton meddled with the code for the association's number-generating machines to cause them to pick certain numbers on certain days. Last year, he was charged with messing with the number generators to win a $14.3 million drawing in Iowa in 2010. Now Tipton is being charged with doing the same thing three years earlier to win more than $783,000 in Wisconsin. Tipton's alleged accomplice, Robert Rhodes, is also facing charges in Wisconsin and Iowa. Authorities say Tipton would provide Rhodes with rigged numbers and have him buy the tickets. They would allegedly split the winnings. Investigators in Iowa have also linked Tipton, Rhodes, and Tipton's brother to lottery wins in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.