Woman gets prison time for Jamaican lottery scam
ALBANY, New York (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a 38-year-old Schenectady woman has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for a Jamaica-based lottery scam targeting elderly victims.
The US Attorney’s Office says Kimberly Powell admitted she worked with her husband, Jeragh Powell, and others in Jamaica to mail fake lottery prize notifications to people around the country.
The mailing directed the victims to pay tens of thousands of dollars in “fees and taxes” to receive prize money and cars.
Prosecutors say the Powells received more than US$65,000 from the victims and forwarded a large portion to their associates in Jamaica.
Jeragh Powell, a Jamaican citizen, was sentenced in January to three years and five months in prison. His wife was sentenced on Thursday.
