Jamaican in US gets 57-month prison sentence for lottery scamming scheme
Published:Wednesday | April 28, 2021 | 4:03 PM
TUCSON, Arizona
Thirty-two-year-old Jamaica-born Omar Stephenson has been sentenced to four years and eight months in a US prison for lottery scamming.
Stephenson was sentenced by United States District Judge James A. Soto yesterday.
He is one of four co-defendants who have been charged in connection with a lottery fraud scheme and had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
From 2015 through to mid-2019, Stephenson participated in a scheme where Jamaican-based scammers called elderly victims in the United States, claiming they had won the lottery.
To receive their winnings, the victims were told they must first pay money for taxes and fees.
Stephenson's role in this scheme was to launder the fraudulent proceeds for fellow co-conspirators in Jamaica.
The loss suffered by the victims exceeded US$900,000.
As part of his sentence, Stephenson will also be required to pay restitution.
A separate hearing is scheduled for June 2 to determine the amount of that restitution.
The U.S. Attorney's Office has encouraged the public to be wary of similar scams and to verify with law enforcement and family members before sending money after a phone solicitation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
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