Seven indicted for international lottery scam targeting elderly

PITTSBURGH — Seven individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Friday. The charges stem from the Department of Justice’s wide-ranging efforts to protect older adults from fraud and financial exploitation.

Defendants, Jason Plummer, 31; Troy Williams, 38; and Tajay Singh, 26, each of Montego Bay, Jamaica, were each named in separate, two-count indictments. A fourth two-count Indictment named defendants Tashane Murray, 30, of Miramar, Fla.; Clevon McKenzie, 31, of Mount Vernon, N.Y.; Gyzzell Byfield, 27, of Bridgeport, Conn.; and Daneil Reid, 27, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

According to the indictments, defendants stole more than $2.8 million from elderly and vulnerable victims in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the United States. As part of that scheme, conspirators contacted the victims and falsely told them that they had won a million or multi-million-dollar sweepstakes, but needed to pay certain taxes and fees before they could claim their prize. These claims were often reinforced with forged documents purporting to describe the sweepstakes winnings and required taxes and fees, some of which bore the seals of government agencies. Williams, Plummer, Singh, Murray, and McKenzie all targeted victims in one or more of those ways. The conspirators then directed the victims to send money, including cash, checks, and money orders, to people designated by the conspirators. Some of these people were victims of the lottery scam, who had been unwittingly fooled into accepting and moving money on behalf of the members of the conspiracy. Others, like Byfield and Reid, were members of the conspiracy themselves. After being laundered through a network of bank accounts and money mules, victim money was withdrawn by members of the conspiracy living in Jamaica.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of twice the pecuniary loss to any victim, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictments in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Full Article & Source:
Seven indicted for international lottery scam targeting elderly