Three Jamaican males who had been lately arrested and charged with lottery scamming in america had been allegedly utilizing funds obtained from their victims to function a automotive dealership in Kingston, Jamaica.
That is in keeping with america Lawyer’s Workplace for the Center District of Pennsylvania which introduced that Caron Pitter, age 47, Rohan Lyttle, age 49, and Charlene Marshall, age 44, all from Jamaica had been discovered responsible of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit cash laundering on November 17.
Along with the conspiracy fees towards all defendants, Pitter was charged with a number of counts of mail fraud, and Lyttle was charged with a number of counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and interstate transportation of products taken by fraud. A fourth defendant, Rohan Lytle, Jr., age 26, was charged with a number of the identical offenses, and he stays a fugitive.
Over $1 million defrauded
In keeping with court documents, the defendants obtained funds from victims of a Jamaican lottery rip-off between 2017 and 2020. A person primarily based in Jamaica posing as a consultant of Writer’s Clearing Home used “lead lists” containing the names and private data of aged Individuals to contact potential victims. These people had been contacted by telephone and electronic mail and falsely informed that that they had gained multimillion-dollar prizes by way of Writer’s Clearing Home however wanted to prepay taxes and different charges with a purpose to declare their supposed prizes.
Cash was despatched by way of varied channels together with Zelle, MoneyGram, and Western Union. In addition they obtained debit playing cards for victims’ checking accounts and used these playing cards to make money withdrawals at ATMs positioned in Jamaica.
Collectively, these victims misplaced over $1.1 million in reference to this fraud scheme, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Connections to Kingston dealership
Proof at trial additionally confirmed that the defendants operated an auto physique store in Queens, New York referred to as Rocars Auto, and an affiliated used automotive dealership primarily based in Kingston, Jamaica referred to as Rolcam Firm Restricted. The defendants used the proceeds of the lottery rip-off to buy and restore salvage autos from on-line car auctions and ship these autos to Rolcam Firm Restricted on the market to prospects in Jamaica.
In a single occasion, a sufferer from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was informed that he had gained a brand new Vary Rover, along with his money prize. He was directed to pay for and ship over $15,000 in elements from a Land Rover automotive dealership to Rocars Auto in Queens, New York.
The defendants used these elements to restore a 2019 Land Rover that they bought. After repairing the car, they shipped it from Rocars Auto to Rolcam Firm Restricted in Kingston, Jamaica, the place it was bought to an unidentified purchaser believed to be related to the lottery rip-off.
