Page 43 - KPA 7 APRIL 2016

U.S. NEWS A5
Thursday 7 April 2016

Code let lottery vendor predict winning numbers, police say

RYAN J. FOLEY Multi-State Lottery Associa-

Associated Press tion, an Iowa-based non-

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A profit that administers Pow-

lottery vendor for years ma- erball and other games for

nipulated drawings to en- states.

rich himself and associates Prosecutors had alleged

by installing software code Eddie Tipton tampered

that allowed him to pre- with random number gen-

dict winning numbers on erators that were used by

specific days of the year, the association and state

Iowa investigators alleged lotteries to pick jackpot

Wednesday. winners. But their case had

Authorities called the new- been based on circum-

ly obtained forensic evi- stantial evidence because

dence a breakthrough in the generators had been

the investigation of alleged erased or destroyed. Tip-

jackpot-fixing scheme by ton’s defense has cited the

Eddie Tipton, former securi- lack of evidence as a rea-

ty director of the Multi-State son charges should be dis-

Lottery Association. A jury missed.

convicted him last year of Documents filed Wednes-

rigging a $16.5 million jack- day show Wisconsin author-

pot, and he’s awaiting trial ities recovered the random

on charges linking him to number generator used

prizes in Colorado, Wiscon- for a $2 million Megabucks Former lottery security officer Eddie Tipton leaves the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa,
sin, Oklahoma and Kansas. jackpot claimed in 2008 after his sentencing in a jackpot-fixing scandal. On Wednesday, April 6, 2016, Tipton’s brother,
Prosecutors filed charges by Tipton’s friend, Robert Tommy Tipton was charged in connection with jackpots claimed in Oklahoma and Colorado.
Wednesday against his Rhodes. He is fighting extra-
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

younger brother, Tommy dition from Texas to Iowa, days would be drawn by produce “the very same Moines gas station in 2010.
Tipton, a former justice of where he faces charges. an algorithm that Tipton ‘winning numbers’ from Colleagues identified the
the peace and reserve A forensic examination could predict, Iowa Divi- the program that was sup- buyer as Tipton, a comput-
police officer in Texas. He found that the genera- sion of Criminal Investiga- posed to produce random er whiz who had unparal-
surrendered to authorities tor had code that was in- tion agent Don Smith wrote numbers,” Smith wrote leled access to lottery soft-
and was released on bond. stalled after the machine in an affidavit. Eddie Tipton was charged ware.
He’s charged with ongoing had been audited by a se- All six prizes linked to Tipton last year after authorities Tommy Tipton, 51, testified
criminal conduct related to curity firm that directed the were drawn on either Nov. released surveillance foot- at his brother’s trial, saying
his role in securing the Col- generator not to produce 23 or Dec. 29 between 2005 age of a person buying the buyer looked nothing
orado and Oklahoma jack- random numbers on three and 2011. the winning ticket for a like his sibling. Besides, he
pots, which allegedly net- particular days of the year Investigators were able to $16.5 million Hot Lotto jack- said, Eddie doesn’t like hot
ted him $1.2 million in cash. if two other conditions were recreate the draws and pot and hot dogs at a Des dogs.q
The case has rocked the met. Numbers on those

Fed set up fake university, arrest 21 in bogus visa case

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) es they conspired to help Most of the foreign nation- with conspiracy to commit ic programs; a message
— The University of North- more than 1,000 foreigners als who benefited from the visa fraud and to harbor from the “president,” a Dr.
ern New Jersey fielded no fraudulently keep or obtain alleged scheme hailed aliens for profit. The second Steven Brunetti, Ph.D.; and
sports teams, held no grad- student or work visas over from China and India and charge carries up to 10 photos of attractive young
uation ceremonies and the past 2½ years. were already in the U.S. on years in prison. Most of the people sitting around a li-
had no instructors, classes The defendants whose ar- non-immigrant student vi- defendants are in the U.S. brary table or consulting
or degree programs. It rests were announced this sas. They have been identi- legally and live in New York, with a faculty member.
did have a very attractive week knew the school was fied and will be dealt with New Jersey and California. The site, which was taken
website that promised an bogus, as did the foreign- by immigration authorities One lives in Illinois, and one offline Tuesday afternoon,
“exceptional” education ers, who pretended to be — meaning they could in Georgia. even had a school seal
for foreign students wishing students there in order to face deportation — but The University of Northern that appeared to have
to study in the U.S. stay in the U.S., authorities won’t be prosecuted, Fish- New Jersey’s elaborate been modeled on Prince-
The school was a sham from said. But they didn’t know it man said. website promised “a high ton University’s, except that
beginning to end — and was set up as part of a sting The 21 people arrested quality American edu- the fake institution’s col-
it was created by federal by undercover agents from were described as brokers, cation to students from ors were bluish-purple and
authorities, who used it to U.S. Immigration and Cus- recruiters and employ- around the world.” The site green instead of orange
arrest 21 people on charg- toms Enforcement. ers. They were charged contained links to academ- and black.q