Luck runs out in Charlotte courtroom for man whose lottery scam preyed on older adults
A man from Jamaica who preyed on older adults in a long-running national lottery scheme saw his luck run out in a federal courtroom in Charlotte this week.
Antony Linton Stewart, a 40-year-old resident of Jamaica, was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Conrad also ordered Stewart to pay $1.1 million in restitution, court records show.
According to court documents, Stewart and unnamed co-conspirators targeted elderly Americans in his Jamaica-based scheme.
Stewart called his victims and told them they won money and other prizes in a sweepstakes or lottery, the documents show. He told them to send money to pay fees and taxes on their winnings.
He repeatedly called his victims “for as long as they could be persuaded to send additional money,” according to a news release by U.S. Attorney Dena King’s office. “No lottery existed, and no victim ever received any winnings.”
Stewart ran the scam from 2010 through at least August 2016, according to court documents.
“Overseas lottery schemes are, unfortunately, a common means by which foreign criminals seek to target U.S. citizens, particularly elder Americans,” acting assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil division said in a statement.
“Stealing money from elderly individuals is a despicable crime,” King said. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that fraudsters who target and exploit older adults for financial gain will be brought to justice.”
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement in Jamaica to arrest and extradite Stewart.