Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Long Running Fraud Scheme

A Jamaican national, who was previously extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded guilty on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota in connection a long running scheme to defraud a California woman.

Dwayne Anderson, 35, of Hannover, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges. Anderson was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was extradited to the United States, where he has remained incarcerated pending trial.

As part of this plea agreement, Anderson admitted that, from as early as 2010 until September 2017, he participated in a scheme to defraud an American woman. Using phony names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes. He persuaded the victim, who believed his false representations, to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the sweepstakes. He instructed her on how, and to whom, to send these payments. Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and told her that her winnings would be forthcoming if she paid the requested money. The victim paid the purported fees, losing more than $181,000, but never received any of the purported winnings.

"The Department of Justice is committed to protecting Americans from the threats posed by transnational criminals and will vigorously pursue them, wherever they are located," said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "Anderson is the latest example in the Department's ongoing efforts to combat these kinds of foreign based schemes and hold those involved accountable."

"Americans are increasingly falling victim to devastating fraud schemes perpetrated by transnational criminals," said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. "Whether it happens in a rural community or a metropolitan area, the Department of Justice will ensure these criminals are held to account for their shameless targeting of vulnerable individuals and their hard-earned savings."

"If you target vulnerable Americans with schemes designed to steal their hard-earned money, you will become our target," said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the USPIS Criminal Investigations Group. "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting our communities. We will find you, we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director J. Matt Williams, Senior Trial Attorney Brandon Robers, and Trial Attorney Edward E. Emokpae, of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Hoffman for the District of South Dakota.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for South Dakota visit their website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd. Information about the Department of Justice's Elder Fraud Initiative is available at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.