Hot Lotto mystery investigation remains ‘active’ despite deadline

CEDAR RAPIDS - Three years after the deadline for claiming a multimillion Iowa Lottery prize, the investigation into the never-redeemed winning ticket continues.

'There's no great updates,” Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Dave Jobes said Monday, the fourth anniversary of the purchase of the $14.3 million Hot Lotto ticket.

However, the DCI continues to investigate leads generated by the October release of surveillance video of a man purchasing a Hot Lotto ticket at a Quick Trip on East 14th Street near Interstate 80 in Des Moines back in December 2010. The release produced a few hundred responses and nearly 20 leads, the DCI said.

The three-year statute of limitations for some charges that could be filed against a person or persons believed to have attempted to defraud the state and Iowa Lottery apply expired Monday. However, other charges could be filed depending on what the investigation finds, Jobes said.

'We will continue to treat it as active because depending on the findings of the investigation there could be some variables that come into play with that statute of limitations date,” said Jobes, assistant director of the DCI.

For example, an assistant attorney general connected to the case said the three-year statute of limitations would not apply if investigators conclude there was conspiracy to defraud the Lottery.

'We're not considering it a closed case because we hit the three-year mark today,” Jobes said.

Lottery and law enforcement officials have been trying to untangle the Hot Lotto mystery ever since an attempt was made to redeem winning ticket worth an estimated $7.5 million.

Less than two hours before the 2011 deadline for claiming the jackpot, Crawford Shaw, a New York attorney, came forward to file paperwork with the Iowa Lottery to claim the prize. Shaw said he was acting on behalf of Hexam Investments - a trust based in Belize, which is known as a tax haven.

However, Iowa Lottery officials refused to pay the prize because of questions about the ticket's ownership. Shaw withdrew his claim in January 2012 and the prize money was ultimately forfeited.

Jobes declined to offer details of the leads other than to say running down some leads take more time than others. In the past, the search for clues has taken investigators to Houston, Texas, and Canada. However, Jobes said no additional travel was involved in following up the more recent leads.