A Jamaican man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 160 months in prison, which is a little over 13 years, for leading an international fraud ring that targeted thousands of elderly victims around the United States.
Man Sentenced to 160 Months for Role in International Lottery Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims https://t.co/3sGSyrkJko @FBIPhoenix
— US Attorney Arizona (@USAO_AZ) August 19, 2022
According to a press release by the District of Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office, David Odean McIntosh, 29, of Jamaica, was sentenced on Tuesday after previously being found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered McIntosh to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution.
The press release details that, between the years of 2013 and 2018, David Odean McIntosh was one of the leaders of an international fraud ring that targeted thousands of elderly victims around the United States. As part of the fraud scheme, Jamaican-based scammers and others called elderly victims in the U.S., claiming the victims had won a lottery or other prize.
The fraudsters told the alleged “winners” that in order to receive their winnings, they must first pay money for taxes and fees. The fraudsters then provided some victims with phony letters claiming to be from the IRS that threatened to seize their assets if they failed to pay, the press release further notes.
McIntosh’s role in the scheme was to distribute “lead lists,” which contained the names and personal information of thousands of primarily elderly individuals for the scammers to contact and lure into the scheme. In addition, McIntosh also conspired to launder portions of the fraudulent proceeds.
The following agencies conducted the investigation in McIntosh’s case: The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Diplomatic Security Service.
Meanwhile, the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network.
Photo “Jamaican Lottery Scammers” by U.S. Embassy in Jamaica.
