PROVIDENCE, R.I. — United States Attorney Zachary Cunha announced on Wednesday that three individuals from Georgia have been charged for allegedly deceiving senior citizens in Rhode Island and other states out of more than one million dollars through a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme.
The accused—36-year-old Patrick Dallas, 28-year-old Stacey Robinson, and 32-year-old Owen Demoy Byfield—are facing charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to authorities, the three suspects orchestrated a fake “Publishers Clearing House” (PCH) lottery scam, tricking elderly victims into believing they had won large sums of money.
The victims were told they needed to provide personal information and pay an upfront fee or tax to claim their supposed winnings. The fees were paid through various means, including cash, gift cards, and expensive items, which were sent to addresses controlled by the suspects.
One victim, a 77-year-old Rhode Island resident, was scammed out of thousands of dollars after being told he had won $17.5 million. The victim wire-transferred $100,000 and mailed nearly $43,000 in Rolex watches. He was further instructed to send four $30,000 checks, but a FedEx employee became suspicious and advised him to report the incident to the authorities.
The Warwick Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service have worked together to identify multiple elderly victims across the country who fell prey to the scam. These victims sent substantial amounts of money to bank accounts managed by members of the conspiracy.
The FBI reports that more than 100,000 senior citizens across the nation were victims of scams in 2023, collectively losing over $3.4 billion.
Anyone who suspects they have fallen victim to financial fraud is encouraged to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
For more information about elder justice efforts, visit the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice website.
