Antony Linton Stewart, a 40-year-old Jamaican citizen, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement today. Stewart was found guilty of operating a fraudulent lottery scheme based in Jamaica.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad has also mandated that Stewart pays a total of $1,104,041.74 in restitution.
According to court documents, Stewart confessed to running a deceptive lottery scam that targeted victims in the U.S. with the assistance of his co-conspirators. This fraudulent operation lasted from around 2010 until at least August 2016, as confirmed by the Department.
The U.S. attorney’s office stated that Stewart admitted to reaching out to elderly Americans via phone and misleadingly informing them that they had won money and other prizes in a sweepstakes or lottery.
“Stealing money from older individuals is a despicable crime,” said Dena J. King, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that fraudsters who target and exploit older adults for financial gain will be brought to justice.”
According to the office, Stewart also instructed the victims to send money to cover fees and taxes on their supposed winnings.
The department stated that he continuously reached out to victims, convincing them to send more money, despite the fact that there was no actual lottery and no winnings were ever received.
“Overseas lottery schemes are unfortunately a common means by which foreign criminals seek to target U.S. citizens, particularly older 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.”
