WASHINGTON, United States — A resident of St James parish, Jamaica, was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in federal court in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on charges relating to his participation in a phony sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly victims in the United States, the Department of Justice and US Postal Inspection Service announced Tuesday.

Damone D Oakley, 40, of the Point District, St James, was charged in a 16-count indictment with mail and wire fraud. The indictment was filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in June 2021 and was unsealed after the defendant’s extradition to the United States.

According to the indictment, Oakley sought to unlawfully enrich himself through a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme targeting the elderly. Victims throughout the United States received mailings, text messages or phone calls in which they were falsely told that they had won millions of dollars and luxury vehicles in a sweepstakes, but first needed to pay taxes and fees in order to claim their winnings. The indictment alleges that Oakley, using a variety of names, including “Officer Alex Logan” and “Officer Stan Valentine,” instructed his victims on how to send their money (and to whom the funds should be sent), including through the use of wire transfers, direct bank deposits, the US Postal Service and private commercial mail carriers. Victims were directed to send money directly to Oakley as well as to individuals in the United States and elsewhere who served as intermediaries and transmitted the money to Oakley. In addition to sending cash or wire transfers, the indictment alleges that victims were directed to purchase electronics, jewellery and clothing, and to then have the purchased items shipped to mail forwarding services in Florida. The victims never received any “winnings”.

“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch is committed to pursuing criminals who defraud vulnerable US consumers — both domestically and abroad — and to prosecuting them to the full extent of the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This is the first extradition requested by the United States in accordance with the evidentiary rules contained in Jamaica’s recently revised Extradition Act, and we are encouraged by the streamlined extradition process that led to the defendant’s appearance in federal court to face these charges.”

“Scammers like these are targeting the most vulnerable people in our society,” said US Attorney Gerard M Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “In the Middle District of Pennsylvania, we are proud to prioritise and prosecute individuals who engage in such acts and commend our law enforcement partners who help make these results possible.”

“The US Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating scammers, domestically and internationally, who use the US mail to enrich themselves by targeting and financially exploiting the most vulnerable of American consumers — the elderly,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the US Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Today’s extradition exemplifies the Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to collaborate with foreign and domestic law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I Marks of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant US Attorney Christian Haugsby for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The US Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Lottery Scam Task Force and the Jamaica Fugitive Apprehension Team provided critical assistance.

The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbours and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalised support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.