Imprisoned lottery computer tech seeks to overturn sentence

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man who is serving a 25-year prison sentence for rigging computers to win lottery jackpots for himself, friends, and family is suing Iowa, claiming he was pressured four years ago to plead guilty to crimes he did not commit.

Eddie Tipton filed documents starting the lawsuit from prison in January 2020. He wants the court to halt all restitution he’s been ordered to pay until a trial is held.

A lawyer from the Iowa Attorney General’s office asked a judge to dismiss Tipton’s lawsuit as frivolous.

Tipton in 2017 accepted a plea agreement and was ordered to repay $2 million in ill-gotten winnings from lotteries in Colorado, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Oklahoma.