Rob Sand

So the Iowa lottery says, this has just gone from weird to double weird. We know this Philip Johnston guy isn't the actual purchaser. And we have our due diligence to do. So, hey, you need to tell us who bought this ticket and everyone who possessed it along the way, or we're not going to pay. they did not get a favorable response. The response was, pay us or we'll sue you.

So the Iowa lottery says, this has just gone from weird to double weird. We know this Philip Johnston guy isn't the actual purchaser. And we have our due diligence to do. So, hey, you need to tell us who bought this ticket and everyone who possessed it along the way, or we're not going to pay. they did not get a favorable response. The response was, pay us or we'll sue you.

And then the Iowa Lottery, to their credit, said, go right ahead, sue us. Of course, the Iowa Lottery knew if this plaintiff files a lawsuit, they get to conduct discovery, which means they get to kind of find out who actually had possessed this ticket, or at least find out as much as the people trying to claim it knew.

And then the Iowa Lottery, to their credit, said, go right ahead, sue us. Of course, the Iowa Lottery knew if this plaintiff files a lawsuit, they get to conduct discovery, which means they get to kind of find out who actually had possessed this ticket, or at least find out as much as the people trying to claim it knew.

Rather than disclosing the actual purchaser, decided it was worth $16 million to maintain that person's privacy. That is interesting.

Rather than disclosing the actual purchaser, decided it was worth $16 million to maintain that person's privacy. That is interesting.

It was this curious little essentially dead end of a investigation with a $16 million lottery ticket.

It was this curious little essentially dead end of a investigation with a $16 million lottery ticket.

The big thing that we had left to do was releasing the video of the purchaser and asking the public for assistance. To make that video public and to say to people, hey, if you think you know who this is, we want to talk to them.

The big thing that we had left to do was releasing the video of the purchaser and asking the public for assistance. To make that video public and to say to people, hey, if you think you know who this is, we want to talk to them.

In fact, Noel, one of his coworkers, walked into the office one day, walked into the muscle office. This is right after we released the video. And one of her coworkers says, hey, Noelle, come over here. And hands Noelle headphones and says, put these on. And then clicks a button. Noelle is just standing there, can't see the computer screen that she's looking at.

In fact, Noel, one of his coworkers, walked into the office one day, walked into the muscle office. This is right after we released the video. And one of her coworkers says, hey, Noelle, come over here. And hands Noelle headphones and says, put these on. And then clicks a button. Noelle is just standing there, can't see the computer screen that she's looking at.

And this person starts playing the video of the purchase. And Noelle says to this coworker without seeing the screen, why am I listening to a tape of Eddie talking?

And this person starts playing the video of the purchase. And Noelle says to this coworker without seeing the screen, why am I listening to a tape of Eddie talking?

He also writes the program that actually picks the supposedly random numbers that people want to hit when they're trying to hit the jackpot.

He also writes the program that actually picks the supposedly random numbers that people want to hit when they're trying to hit the jackpot.

The day we started presenting evidence, CBS This Morning did a nationwide broadcast calling into question whether we had enough evidence to prove the case.

The day we started presenting evidence, CBS This Morning did a nationwide broadcast calling into question whether we had enough evidence to prove the case.

I wasn't sure if the jury would understand our case, that he had rigged it. The defense counsel kept saying, you know, this is just, he wants you to imagine this stuff. He can't explain to you how it works. He just wants you to say that it happened.

I wasn't sure if the jury would understand our case, that he had rigged it. The defense counsel kept saying, you know, this is just, he wants you to imagine this stuff. He can't explain to you how it works. He just wants you to say that it happened.