By Anthony Henry
A Jamaican national who was extradited to the United States last year has pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in connection with a multimillion-dollar lottery scam that defrauded a California woman of more than US$181,000.

Dwayne Anderson, 35, of Hannover, Jamaica, entered the guilty plea on Friday in the US District Court for the District of South Dakota. He was arrested by Jamaican authorities on July 11, 2024, based on a US indictment, and later extradited in August 2024. He has remained in custody since he arrived in the United States.

According to court documents, Anderson admitted that between 2010 and September 2017, he participated in a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme targeting an American woman. Posing under false names, he contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email, convincing her that she had won millions of dollars. Anderson then persuaded her to send payments he claimed were necessary fees and taxes to collect her winnings.

The victim complied with repeated requests for money, sending more than 181,000 USD over the years. She never received any of the promised winnings.

 “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting Americans from the threats posed by transnational criminals and will vigorously pursue them, wherever they are located. Anderson is the latest example in the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat these kinds of foreign-based schemes and hold those involved accountable,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division condemned the scheme.

US Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota noted:
“Americans are increasingly falling victim to devastating fraud schemes perpetrated by transnational criminals. Whether it happens in a rural community or a metropolitan area, the Department of Justice will ensure these criminals are held to account for their shameless targeting of vulnerable individuals and their hard-earned savings.”

Eric Shen, Inspector in Charge of the US Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group, also issued a warning to others engaged in similar schemes: “If you target vulnerable Americans with schemes designed to steal their hard-earned money, you will become our target. We will find you; we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable.”

The case was investigated by the US Postal Inspection Service, with support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, which coordinated with Jamaican law enforcement authorities to secure Anderson’s arrest and extradition.

Anderson now awaits sentencing.