01/28/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/28/2025 18:43
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A federal judge in Charlotte sentenced a Jamaican citizen to prison for operating a Jamaica-based fraudulent lottery scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Antony Linton Stewart, 40, pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in the Western District of North Carolina. On January 27, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad sentenced Stewart to 84 months in prison. Stewart was also ordered to pay $1,104,041.74 in restitution.
According to court documents, and as part of his plea, Stewart acknowledged that from approximately 2010 through at least August 2016, he led a fraudulent lottery fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators targeted victims in the United States. Stewart admitted that he contacted elderly Americans by phone and falsely told them that they had won money and other prizes in a sweepstakes or lottery. Stewart told victims that they needed to send money to pay fees and taxes on their winnings. He repeatedly contacted victims for as long as they could be persuaded to send additional money. No lottery existed and no victim ever received any winnings.
"Overseas lottery schemes are unfortunately a common means by which foreign criminals seek to target United States citizens, particularly elder Americans," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "Such schemes are unacceptable, and the Department will hold accountable those who participate in them."
"Stealing money from elderly individuals is a despicable crime," said U.S. Attorney King. "Today's sentence sends a clear message that fraudsters who target and exploit older adults for financial gain will be brought to justice."
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice's effort to work with federal and foreign law enforcement to combat fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica that prey on U.S. citizens.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Shumate and U.S. Attorney King commended the efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who investigated the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Stewart. The U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ryan E. Norman of the Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the Western District of North Carolina.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc. Information about the Department of Justice's Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.