The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania has announced federal charges against four individuals involved in a nationwide fraud scheme that defrauded elderly victims out of more than $4.5 million.
Yonel Burnett, 28, of Jamaica, faces two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Meanwhile, Omar McKenzie, 34, from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida; Shemeca Shields, 29, from East Hartford, Connecticut; and Nicole Lamont, 30, of Eastham, Massachusetts, are each charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The federal indictment details how the defendants and their co-conspirators targeted older adults, convincing them they had won large sweepstakes prizes. To collect their supposed winnings, victims were instructed to pay taxes and fees upfront. Documents with forged signatures and fake government seals were used to make the scam appear legitimate.
The fraud operated across Pennsylvania and other areas nationwide, with funds being sent by victims through intermediaries and laundered through various bank accounts. These illicit funds eventually reached conspirators in Jamaica, according to authorities.
Burnett was arrested on March 14 in Florida, while McKenzie was apprehended on March 27, also in Florida. Lamont was arrested in Massachusetts on March 23, and Shields was taken into custody in Connecticut on March 26.
This case is linked to an ongoing investigation that saw the extradition of three co-conspirators from Jamaica in December 2023. The maximum sentence for each of the accused is 20 years in prison.
