Jamaican sentenced in US lottery scam that stole over US$600,000 from retiree

A Jamaican man has been sentenced to three years in a United States federal prison for orchestrating a lottery scam that defrauded an elderly woman in southwest Washington out of more than US$600,000 over a four-year period.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, 34-year-old Roshard Andrew Carty was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma after pleading guilty to wire fraud in February.

Federal prosecutors said Carty first contacted the 73-year-old victim in 2020, falsely claiming to represent Publishers Clearing House and telling her she had won US$22 million and a car. He then convinced her she needed to pay taxes and fees before receiving the prize.

Over the next several years, prosecutors said the victim was manipulated into sending cash to money couriers across the United States, who later transferred the funds to Jamaica. Authorities said the total losses exceeded US$600,000.

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said that even when the victim hesitated or attempted to cut off contact, Carty continued pursuing her through multiple communication methods.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd described the scheme as “relentless,” saying the defendant preyed on the woman’s isolation and fears of losing money she had already invested.

“He stole the money she was counting on to survive in retirement, so that he could buy luxuries and live large in Jamaica,” Floyd said in a statement.

Court records show Carty gradually increased his demands for money, initially instructing the victim to withdraw small sums and ship cash through FedEx to locations in the U.S. Prosecutors said he later persuaded her to borrow against and ultimately sell her home to cover supposed “fees” tied to the fake winnings.

Investigators said Carty contacted the woman thousands of times during the fraud. When she tried to stop communicating, authorities said he sent tow trucks and pizza deliveries to her residence and even contacted her landlord requesting welfare checks in attempts to reestablish contact.

W. Mike Herrington, head of the FBI’s Seattle field office, said the scam destroyed the victim’s financial security and abused public trust by falsely claiming the FBI was monitoring calls connected to the supposed prize.

Authorities also indicated the Washington victim was not the only person targeted. Prosecutors argued in court filings that Carty showed a pattern of persistent and deceptive conduct and could continue committing fraud after completing his sentence.

Carty was indicted in November 2024 and arrested in Jamaica in August 2025 before consenting to extradition to the United States. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Jamaican authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has repeatedly warned about Jamaica-based lottery scams, reminding the public that legitimate prizes never require advance payment of taxes or fees.