Antony Linton Stewart, a 40-year-old Jamaican national, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for orchestrating a fraudulent lottery scheme that targeted older Americans. Stewart, who operated the scam from Jamaica, was also ordered to pay $1,104,041.74 in restitution to the victims, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina reported.
The fraud operation ran from 2010 to at least August 2016, during which Stewart and his co-conspirators contacted senior citizens in the U.S. through phone calls, falsely informing them that they had won large sums of money and other prizes in a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes. Stewart instructed victims to send money to cover supposed taxes and fees, continuing to solicit more funds as long as they could be convinced to comply.
Stewart’s actions were condemned by Dena J. King, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, who described the targeting of older individuals for financial gain as a “despicable crime.” U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad handed down the sentence, underscoring the significant harm caused to the victims.
“Such overseas lottery schemes are a persistent threat, especially for vulnerable seniors,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to hold accountable those who engage in fraudulent activities to exploit innocent individuals.”
Stewart’s conviction highlights the ongoing threat of fraudulent lottery schemes, which remain a common tactic used by criminals from overseas to exploit U.S. citizens, particularly the elderly. Despite the scam’s sophisticated nature, the Justice Department has vowed to continue its efforts to combat such schemes and ensure justice for victims.