KINGSTON, Jamaica — The eight alleged lotto scammers held in simultaneous operations by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-corruption taskforce (MOCA) and US law enforcement agencies in western Jamaica last week are to appear in court to answer charges against them later this month.

Investigations also led detectives to arrest another alleged scammer in Trelawny following the operations on Wednesday, but that person is yet to be charged.

The eight arrested have been charged with breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provision) Act. They are:

• 21-year-old Tawayne Foster, otherwise called Street Man, of an Irwin address in St James;  

• 27-year-old Simone Motta of Paradise in Norwood St James;

• 28-year-old Troy Jones, otherwise called Shaun, of Grange Pen district, Lilliput in St James;

• 23-year-old Shawnavon Wray, otherwise called Shawn Wray, of Duncans, Trelawny and Runaway Bay, St Ann;

• 53-year-old Carl Gooden, otherwise called Stamma;

• 25-year-old Carrick Gooden;

• 22-year-old Calvin Donaldson, otherwise called Mesh; and

• 18-year-old Oshane Tyrell, otherwise called Mice, all of Carey Park district, Duncans in Trelawny.

Gooden, Foster and Motta have been charged with breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act, while Foster and Motta face additional charges for breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Several electronic devices which are believed to contain paraphernalia of the lottery scam, three Toyota Corolla motor cars and a quantity of marijuana were also seized in the operation.

All eight were granted bail. Gooden is to appear in the Duncans Resident Magistrate’s Court on Friday, October 11; Gooden, Wray, Donaldson and Tyrell will appear before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, October 22 while Foster, Motta and Jones will appear on Thursday, October 31.