WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – A Jamaican man extradited to the United States to face fraud charges has been ordered detained pending trial for allegedly orchestrating a multi-million dollar lottery scam that defrauded an elderly American woman of more than US$800,000.

US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced that Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was returned to the Western District of Washington on October 23, following his August 21 arrest in Jamaica.

Earlier this week, Magistrate Judge David W Christal ruled that Carty will remain in custody until his trial, which is set for December 22.

According to court documents, Carty first contacted his 73-year-old victim in 2020, claiming she had won a US$22 million Publishers Clearing House prize.

For the next three and a half years, between August 2020 and February 2024, he allegedly convinced her to send more than US$800,000 in supposed taxes, fees and other costs needed to claim the fictitious winnings.

Prosecutors say Carty repeatedly manipulated the victim, at one point, falsely telling her that the FBI was monitoring their calls and that she should not disclose the win to anyone.

His requests for money escalated over time.

He allegedly urged her to withdraw smaller amounts of cash to send via FedEx, then later told her the funds had been lost or stolen and demanded more.

Investigators say Carty also persuaded the victim to borrow against her home and ultimately to sell the property to continue sending him money.

The funds were mailed to various couriers in the United States.

The indictment further alleges that Carty was relentless, bombarding the victim with calls and text messages from different numbers.

When she attempted to cut off contact, he allegedly sent tow trucks and pizza deliveries to her home and even contacted her landlord requesting a welfare check, all in attempts to re-engage her.