UNITY, PA – Two men from New York will soon be paroled after pleading guilty to swindling an 84-year-old woman from Unity Township, Pennsylvania, in a fake $5 million lottery scam.
Floyd B. Forrest, 26, and Reheem J. Anderson, 22, were each sentenced Wednesday after admitting to felony theft and fleeing from police. Their scheme involved posing as delivery drivers offering a Publisher’s Clearinghouse-style jackpot that never existed.
According to investigators, the scammers first contacted the elderly victim by phone in April, claiming she had won $5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. She was sent a fraudulent $30,000 check and instructed to withdraw $9,500 of her own money to pay supposed taxes on the winnings.
The woman complied with a second request the following day but grew suspicious and alerted authorities. When the scammers arranged a third payment pickup, Pennsylvania State Police set up a sting operation at her home.
Forrest and Anderson arrived in a Nissan Rogue, but upon realizing law enforcement was involved, they fled the scene, triggering a high-speed chase along Route 30 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The pursuit ended when spike strips disabled their vehicle. The suspects attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended.
Police recovered UPS uniforms and a driver’s license linked to the fake check from two bags inside the vehicle.
Westmoreland County Judge Tim Krieger accepted the negotiated plea deal, sentencing both men to two to 23 months in jail, followed by one year of probation. As part of the deal, $19,000 in restitution was paid to the victim.
“They’re clearly smart enough to do better with their lives,” Judge Krieger remarked, noting the emotional toll such scams can take on seniors.
The men have been in jail since their April 11 arrest and will be released on parole once New York authorities agree to supervise their probation.
