FBI IMPERSONATOR INDICTED IN JAMAICA

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, March 4, 2016

Woman Indicted for Impersonating FBI Agent in Connection with Lottery Fraud Scheme Based in Jamaica

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia indicted a woman for impersonating an FBI special agent in connection with an international lottery fraud scheme based in Jamaica, the Department of Justice announced today.

Vania Lee Allen, 30, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and falsely impersonating an employee of the United States, one count of wire fraud and one count of falsely impersonating an employee of the United States.

According to the indictment, Allen and a co-conspirator in Jamaica sought to unlawfully enrich themselves through a fraudulent lottery scheme targeting an elderly resident of Evans, Georgia.  Allen’s co-conspirator falsely informed the victim by phone that the victim had won money in a lottery and instructed the victim to make payments to various people in order to collect the purported lottery winnings.  As alleged in the indictment, in order to gain the trust of the victim and induce him to continue to make payments, Allen traveled from Jamaica to the United States and falsely portrayed herself to the victim as an FBI agent.

“Fraud schemes operating from other countries and targeting Americans often cannot fully succeed without assistance from a co-conspirator in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “Scammers use many different tactics in an effort to gain the trust of their victims.  The Justice Department will actively pursue and charge those who participate in such criminal activity.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia is committed to vigorously prosecuting fraud schemes of all kinds,” said U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver of the Southern District of Georgia. “Those who perpetrate scams upon the vulnerable should know that federal law enforcement will work tirelessly to shut down fraud schemes and prosecute those responsible.”

According to the indictment, Allen traveled from Jamaica to the United States in early May 2015.  The indictment alleges that Allen sent a number of text messages to her co-conspirator in Jamaica discussing the plan to impersonate an FBI agent, including a text that attached an image of a law enforcement style badge with an “FBI” logo and the words “Federal Bureau of Investigation” on the face of the badge.  The indictment further alleges that on May 7, 2015, Allen traveled to the victim’s home in Evans, Georgia, falsely portrayed herself to the victim as a FBI special agent and provided the victim with a cellphone and directed him to speak with the person on the line, who was her co-conspirator in Jamaica.

“These lottery scammers prey on elderly Americans, and convince them to send significant amounts of money based on false promises,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge David W. Bosch of the Philadelphia Division. “The Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating and combating these international lottery schemes.”

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to work with federal and local law enforcement to combat fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica that prey on American citizens.  According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Americans have lost tens of millions of dollars to fraudulent foreign lotteries.

If convicted, Allen faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud count, as well as up to five years for the conspiracy count and up to three years for the false impersonation count.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Clint Narver of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Troy Clark of the Southern District of Georgia.  The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Columbia County Georgia Sherriff’s Office.

An indictment is merely an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

ATLANTA GEORGIA MAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR ROLE IN JAMAICA BASED LOTTERY SCHEME

FROM:  THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Monday, June 16, 2014

Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty in Connection with International Lottery Scheme Based in Jamaica

A man from Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today for his role in a Jamaican-based fraudulent lottery scheme.

Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Inspector in Charge David W. Bosch of the Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Larson of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Newark Field Office made the announcement.

Dominic Smith, 26, a citizen of the United States, pleaded guilty in the Western District of North Carolina to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.   Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

Smith was charged in connection with a fraudulent lottery scheme based in Jamaica that induced elderly victims in the U.S. to send Smith thousands of dollars to cover purported fees for lottery winnings that victims had not won and never received.  Smith acted as a middleman in the U.S., receiving money from victims via wire transfers, bank transfers, and mailings.   Smith kept a portion of this victim money for his own benefit, and provided the rest to others participating in the scheme.

“This guilty plea demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecute those responsible for fraudulent lottery schemes,” said Assistant Attorney General Delery.  “Schemes targeting Americans from other countries often cannot fully succeed without assistance from co-conspirators in the U.S. who are willing to help them rip off people in this country.”

“These lottery scammers prey on older Americans, and convince them to send significant amounts of money based on false promises,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Bosch.  “The Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating and combating these international lottery schemes.”

“These fraudulent lottery schemes result in hundreds of thousands of dollars of victim money flowing through the hands of scammers within and outside of the U.S.,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Larsen.   “The IRS will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of illegal proceeds across the U.S. border.”

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s effort working with federal and local law enforcement to combat fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica preying on American citizens.   According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Americans have lost tens of millions of dollars to fraudulent foreign lotteries.

Smith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud with enhanced penalties for telemarketing.   As part of his guilty plea, Smith acknowledged that, had the case gone to trial, the U.S. would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that, from December 2010 through at least April 2012, Smith was a member of a conspiracy that targeted victims in the United States by informing them that they had won cash and prizes in a lottery.  Victims received a telephone call stating that they had won a sweepstakes or lottery and sometimes a new car.  Victims were instructed to send thousands of dollars for “fees” or other expenses via wire transfers, direct bank transfers, and the mail in order to release their purported lottery winnings.  Victims sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Smith in the U.S.  Smith acknowledged that the government would have proved that he knew there was no lottery and no winnings were paid, and that he, along with his coconspirators, kept the victims’ money for their own benefit.

Assistant Attorney General Delery commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.   The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director Jeffrey Steger and Trial Attorney Lauren Fascett of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Odulio of the Western District of North Carolina.

JAMAICAN CITIZEN CHARGED FOR ROLE IN LOTTERY SCAM

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Individual Arrested in Florida in Connection with a Lottery Scam in Jamaica
A Jamaican citizen charged in connection with the operation of a fraudulent lottery was arrested Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., following his indictment by a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2012, the Justice Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service announced today.  Oneike Mickhale Barnett was arrested based on charges that he and his co-conspirators ran a lottery scam in Jamaica that fraudulently induced elderly victims in the United States to send them thousands of dollars to cover fees for lottery winnings that victims had not in fact won.  The indictment unsealed with Barnett’s arrest forms part of the government’s crackdown on fraudulent lottery scams based in Jamaica.

Beginning in October 2008, Barnett and his co-conspirators are alleged to have contacted victims in the U.S., announced that the victims had won cash and prizes and persuaded the victims to send them thousands of dollars in fees to release the money.  The victims never received cash or prizes.  The defendant and his co-conspirators allegedly made calls from Jamaica using Voice Over Internet Protocol technology that allowed them to use a telephone number with a U.S. area code.  According to the indictment, Barnett convinced victims to send money to middlemen in South Florida, who forwarded the money to Jamaica.

“Lottery scams that target older Americans, such as the one alleged here, are the most pernicious kind of fraud – often swindling seniors out of their life savings,” said Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “The Justice Department will continue to combat these schemes and bring those responsible to justice.”

 “The alleged lottery scheme in this case is most vile because it targeted the elderly, one of the most vulnerable members in our society,” said Wifredo Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.  “While the scam was based in Jamaica, it targeted victims in the United States, including South Florida.  We will continue to pursue and prosecute those responsible for these illegal schemes in an effort to bring those responsible to justice and protect those in our society.”

Barnett was charged with conspiracy and 37 counts of wire fraud, and with committing these offenses via telemarketing.  If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years per count, a possible fine and mandatory restitution.
         
 “This arrest highlights the joint effort between U.S. and Jamaican law enforcement to prosecute those who prey on our nation’s senior citizens,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge for the Miami Division Ronald Verrochio.  “The mission of the Postal Inspection Service is to protect consumers by ensuring the nation’s mail system is not used as a tool for fraud.”

Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Miami Alysa D. Erichs added, “These individuals are preying on some of the most vulnerable members in our communities.  We will continue to work with our partners in Jamaica and other law enforcement agencies to put these criminal enterprises out of business.”

Acting U.S. Marshal Neil DeSousa said, “The U.S. Marshals Service in the Southern District of Florida, along with the Jamaica Foreign Field Office and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, remain committed to locating and apprehending criminals who defraud elderly Americans.  We will continue to work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Department of Homeland Security on the JOLT task force in the ongoing effort to combat lottery fraud targeting some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

U.S. Attorney Ferrer and Assistant Attorney General Delery both commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service and Jamaica’s Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani and Consumer Protection Branch, Civil Division attorneys Jeffrey Steger and Kathryn Drenning.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.