Suspect in Jamaican lottery scam facing time in US

For the second time in 24 hours news has emerged of  a suspect in the Jamaican lottery scam facing time behind bars in the United States.

 

Federal prosecutors say a 38 year-old New York woman has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for the scam which targeted elderly victims.

 

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Kimberly Powell admitted she worked with her husband, Jeragh Powell, and others in Jamaica to mail fake lottery prize notifications to people around the country.

 

The mailing directed the victims to pay tens of  thousands of  dollars.

 

Prosecutors say the Powells received more than $65- thousand  from the victims and forwarded a large portion to their associates in Jamaica.

 

Jeragh Powell, a Jamaican, was sentenced in January to three years and five months in prison. 

 

His wife was sentenced on Thursday.

 

News came yesterday that another Jamaican is facing time behind bars in the US for involvement in the lottery scam- 23 year old Kristoff Cain, who conspired with a Pittsburgh woman and others to steal from seniors in a series of  nationwide phone scams, admitted his guilt yesterday in federal court in Pennsylvania.

 

He will be sentenced on April 7.

 

Cain was indicted in Pittsburgh in 2018 for wire and mail fraud following an investigation by state and federal agents into the Jamaican lottery scam.

 

According to agents, the Jamaican and his cohorts called seniors and told them a variety of  stories to trick them into paying over funds.

 

The Jamaican even pretended to be an FBI agent in calling an elderly woman in South Carolina and telling her he was investigating discrepancies in her bank account.