Carlos O’Brien Ricketts, 32, a
Jamaican citizen residing in Virginia, was sentenced to prison for his
role in an international lottery scam.
Ricketts was indicted on Nov. 6, 2014, by a federal grand jury in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in connection with a fraudulent lottery scheme based in Jamaica that induced elderly victims to send thousands of dollars to cover fees for lottery winnings that the victims had not in fact won. On March 24, Ricketts pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
As part of his guilty plea, Ricketts
acknowledged that, had the case gone to trial, the government would have proved
beyond a reasonable doubt that from May 2010 through April 2011, he was a
middleman in the United States for a fictitious sweepstakes operating from
Jamaica.
According to the indictment, a co-conspirator induced elderly victims in the United States to send thousands of dollars to Ricketts to cover fees for purported lottery winnings that, in fact, the victims had not won.
According to the indictment, a co-conspirator induced elderly victims in the United States to send thousands of dollars to Ricketts to cover fees for purported lottery winnings that, in fact, the victims had not won.
This case is part of the government’s
crackdown on international fraudulent lottery schemes that target elderly
individuals in the United States. The indictment alleged that the
co-conspirator instructed the victims to send their payments to Ricketts in the
form of cash and checks via mail and as wire transfers.
As part of his guilty plea, Ricketts
acknowledged that, had the case gone to trial, the government would have proved
beyond a reasonable doubt that he received payments at his home address in
Stephens City, Virginia, and at another address in Winchester, Virginia, sometimes using his own name and at other times used the name “Kevin Brown” to
receive the money.
Ricketts further acknowledged that had the case gone to trial, the government would have proved that he kept part of the money for himself and then sent the remainder of the money in wire transfers to Jamaica, sometimes using the “Kevin Brown” name and addresses other than his own in order to evade detection.
Ricketts further acknowledged that had the case gone to trial, the government would have proved that he kept part of the money for himself and then sent the remainder of the money in wire transfers to Jamaica, sometimes using the “Kevin Brown” name and addresses other than his own in order to evade detection.
Ricketts is to serve 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay
$74,450 in restitution to his victims.
All in all, it is in one's best interest to work hard for what you want.
$74,450 in restitution to his victims.
All in all, it is in one's best interest to work hard for what you want.
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