BISMARCK, United States – United States attorney Chris Myers has announced that another Jamaican accused of participating in a transnational organised crime lottery scam, which bilked at least 80 mostly elderly US residents out of millions of dollars, has been arrested in Jamaica.

Tristan Fisher was arrested on December 2, in Trelawny.

Fisher is one of 15 defendants charged federally in an international wire/mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy investigation, dubbed “Operation Hard Copy”, a news release from United States Department of Justice said Wednesday.

“Operation Hard Copy” investigation began in 2012 and has resulted in several federal indictments throughout the United States, and more than 32 charged or convicted defendants.

Fisher’s arrest follows nine others who have been arrested in Jamaica. According to the news release, they are Dario Palmer, Jason Jahalal, O’Neil Brown, Kazrae Gray, Alrick McLeod, Dahlia Hunter, and Kimberly Hudson – all of whom were arrested on March 30, 2016; Xanu-Ann Morgan was arrested on March 31, 2016; and Lavrick Willocks was arrested on November 5, 2016.

Willocks was taken into custody after being located hiding in a garden at a hotel in Kingston.

The news release said the arrests of Fisher and Willocks are the result of months of continuing investigation by US and Jamaican authorities.

Fisher, Willocks, and others in custody in Jamaica face numerous charges in US federal court, including conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering.

“Fisher is one of 10 defendants who are in custody in Jamaica and are awaiting extradition proceedings following 14 extradition warrants which were issued in Jamaica on February 29, 2016,” said Clare Hochhalter, the federal prosecutor who leads the prosecution team in North Dakota.

“We’re grateful for the continuing efforts of the United States Marshals Service, the High Plains Fugitive Task Force, the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing Fraud Task Force, as well as all of our other US and Jamaican law enforcement partners,” added Myers. “We look forward to bringing these 10 defendants, and others, to justice in the United States.”

According to the Justice Department, the process to extradite Willocks, Fisher, and the others began three years ago after the investigation identified hundreds of victims throughout the United States.

One of Willocks’ former co-defendants, Sanjay Williams, was convicted after trial in North Dakota in 2015. Williams, age 26, was the first Jamaican tried and convicted in the United States for selling lead lists for use in international cyber-fraud.

Evidence presented at the trial of Williams demonstrated that victims of the scam were targeted by the use of lead lists, which are the names, telephone numbers, and personal information of potential victims. The Department of Justice said the lists are often assembled in the United States and are sold to lottery scammers.

Some lead lists are reportedly created by list wholesalers who send out bogus mass mailings purporting to be sweepstakes entries. Consumers, thinking the mailings are legitimate, pay to enter the non-existent sweepstakes. The wholesalers in turn pocket the entry fee then sell the consumer contact information to scammers for as much as $5.50 per potential victim.

United States District Court Chief Judge Daniel Hovland sentenced Williams to 20 years in federal prison, without parole, on November 24, 2015. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld Williams’ verdict and sentence on November 4, 2016.