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Man from Jamaica pleads guilty to lottery scam in WV court

Published:Thursday | November 26, 2015 | 12:00 AM

WEST VIRGINIA (AP):

A man from Jamaica has pleaded guilty in West Virginia federal court to conspiring to scam United States citizens through an international lottery scheme.

The Exponent Telegram reports that 52-year-old Davel Godfrey Young pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud with other co-conspirators from September 2008 through July 2011.

Assistant US Attorney Andrew Cogar said the defendants made unsolicited calls or sent messages to targets, falsely informing them that they had won a multimillion-dollar lottery prize and a new vehicle. The targets were also told they needed to pay taxes and processing fees by wiring funds.

According to the indictment, some of the targets included residents of West Virginia. Cogar stipulated that a part of the scheme was committed from outside the country.

Young will be sentenced at a later date.