Eddie Tipton

Had you noticed over the years that Eddie seemed to have a lifestyle, things, cars, homes that didn't really match up with the salary that you knew he was making? No.

Assistant Attorney General Rob Sand was asking the same question. When he learned that Eddie Tipton's brother, Tommy Tipton, had won the lottery in Colorado back in 2005, he started making calls. and learned that Tommy Tipton had been investigated by a Texas FBI agent named Richard Renneson.

Assistant Attorney General Rob Sand was asking the same question. When he learned that Eddie Tipton's brother, Tommy Tipton, had won the lottery in Colorado back in 2005, he started making calls. and learned that Tommy Tipton had been investigated by a Texas FBI agent named Richard Renneson.

And Richard Renneson told Rob Sand that after he'd won the lottery, Tommy Tipton went to a fireworks dealer and tried to launder $500,000.

And Richard Renneson told Rob Sand that after he'd won the lottery, Tommy Tipton went to a fireworks dealer and tried to launder $500,000.

The fireworks dealer went to the FBI, and the FBI questioned Tommy. He told Agent Renneson that he was laundering the money because he didn't want his wife to know he'd won it. He said he'd even gone so far as to ask a friend to claim the prize on his behalf. It was all a little strange, but it was all legal.

The fireworks dealer went to the FBI, and the FBI questioned Tommy. He told Agent Renneson that he was laundering the money because he didn't want his wife to know he'd won it. He said he'd even gone so far as to ask a friend to claim the prize on his behalf. It was all a little strange, but it was all legal.

Still, Robsand wondered why Eddie's brother had behaved so strangely, and why Eddie still wouldn't tell him how he'd managed to get the winning numbers in Iowa. Plus, two winners in the same family was just too much. He thought it was suspicious enough to make calls to all the other state lotteries in the country.

Still, Robsand wondered why Eddie's brother had behaved so strangely, and why Eddie still wouldn't tell him how he'd managed to get the winning numbers in Iowa. Plus, two winners in the same family was just too much. He thought it was suspicious enough to make calls to all the other state lotteries in the country.

They started looking at a list of names of winners, searching for connections to the Tipton brothers. And they learned that in 2007, a winning lottery ticket had been purchased in Wisconsin by a man named Robert Rhodes, a name they knew from Eddie Tipton's LinkedIn. He'd been the link between Philip Johnston and Eddie Tipton. Robert Rhodes' winning ticket numbers were drawn on December 29, 2007.

They started looking at a list of names of winners, searching for connections to the Tipton brothers. And they learned that in 2007, a winning lottery ticket had been purchased in Wisconsin by a man named Robert Rhodes, a name they knew from Eddie Tipton's LinkedIn. He'd been the link between Philip Johnston and Eddie Tipton. Robert Rhodes' winning ticket numbers were drawn on December 29, 2007.

Eddie Tipton's winning ticket numbers were drawn on December 29, 2010. And then Rob Sand discovered an Oklahoma lottery winner named Kyle Kahn.

Eddie Tipton's winning ticket numbers were drawn on December 29, 2010. And then Rob Sand discovered an Oklahoma lottery winner named Kyle Kahn.

Kyle Kahn's winning ticket numbers were drawn November 23, 2011. Tommy Tipton's winning numbers in Colorado were drawn on November 23, 2005. Rob Sand also discovered two jackpots in Kansas that had been won on the same day and same year as Eddie Tipton's Iowa ticket. The people who claimed those prizes were both contacts in Eddie's phone.

Kyle Kahn's winning ticket numbers were drawn November 23, 2011. Tommy Tipton's winning numbers in Colorado were drawn on November 23, 2005. Rob Sand also discovered two jackpots in Kansas that had been won on the same day and same year as Eddie Tipton's Iowa ticket. The people who claimed those prizes were both contacts in Eddie's phone.

But it wasn't until January of 2016 that Rob Sand actually figured out what Eddie Tipton was doing.

But it wasn't until January of 2016 that Rob Sand actually figured out what Eddie Tipton was doing.

Eddie had written a code that would dramatically decrease the number of possible winning combinations to a smaller set of numbers that Eddie could go play. He designed his code to work within specific, narrow circumstances. Wednesdays or Saturday evenings, only three days of the year, May 27th, November 23rd, and December 29th, butting right up against Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Eddie had written a code that would dramatically decrease the number of possible winning combinations to a smaller set of numbers that Eddie could go play. He designed his code to work within specific, narrow circumstances. Wednesdays or Saturday evenings, only three days of the year, May 27th, November 23rd, and December 29th, butting right up against Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Very convenient times for Eddie Tipton to be out of the office, buying lottery tickets. Rob Sand and investigators presented Eddie Tipton with the new evidence against him, including the fact that Robert Rhodes was now working as a witness for the prosecution. They asked him once again to tell them how he did it. And this time, he agreed.