Jamaican man jailed in US after retiree loses home, life savings in $600,000 lottery scam

A United States federal court has sentenced a 34-year-old Jamaican national to three years in prison after he orchestrated a prolonged lottery fraud scheme that stripped an elderly American woman of more than $600,000 and ultimately cost her home and retirement savings.

Roshard Andrew Carty was sentenced by the U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, after pleading guilty to wire fraud in February 2026 following his extradition from Jamaica.

The sentencing marks the latest major crackdown by U.S. authorities on Jamaica-linked lottery scams that have targeted elderly victims across America for years, leading to millions of dollars in losses and repeated diplomatic and law enforcement cooperation between the two countries.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Carty began targeting the 73-year-old woman from southwest Washington in 2020 by pretending to be an employee of the well-known Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes company.

Investigators said he falsely informed the woman that she had won a massive lottery prize worth $22 million and a vehicle, but claimed she first needed to pay taxes, processing charges, and administrative fees before the winnings could be released.

To strengthen the deception, prosecutors said Carty convinced the victim that the FBI was monitoring their conversations and warned her not to disclose the supposed winnings to anyone.

Over nearly four years, from August 2020 to February 2024, the victim was manipulated into sending money repeatedly to different couriers across the United States, with the funds eventually transferred to Carty in Jamaica.

Court records showed the fraud escalated gradually. What began as small cash requests eventually developed into massive financial demands that drained the woman’s savings and pushed her into financial ruin.

Authorities said Carty directed the victim to withdraw cash from her accounts and mail the money through courier services, including FedEx, to addresses within the United States.

Whenever the woman questioned the payments or hesitated, prosecutors said he would falsely claim previous payments had been lost or stolen and pressure her to send more money.

Investigators revealed that Carty later convinced the victim to borrow against her home and eventually sell the property entirely in order to continue paying the fake fees associated with the non-existent lottery prize.

By the end of the scheme, the victim had lost more than $600,000 without receiving any winnings.

Federal prosecutors described the fraud as unusually aggressive and emotionally manipulative.

According to investigators, Carty contacted the victim thousands of times through phone calls, text messages, and multiple communication platforms over the course of the scam.

Even when the victim attempted to cut communication, authorities said he continued trying to reach her through unusual tactics, including arranging pizza deliveries, dispatching tow trucks, and even contacting her landlord to request welfare checks.

During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright noted that the defendant continued harassing the victim even when she attempted to resist or disengage from the scheme.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd described the conduct as “relentless” and accused Carty of exploiting the victim’s isolation and vulnerability for personal luxury and financial gain.

“This defendant was relentless in defrauding a vulnerable victim,” Floyd said. “He stole the money she was counting on to survive in retirement so that he could buy luxuries and live large in Jamaica.”

The FBI also condemned the scheme, saying it reflected the increasingly sophisticated methods used by international lottery fraud syndicates targeting elderly Americans.

FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington said the suspect cruelly manipulated and intimidated the victim while falsely invoking the credibility of law enforcement agencies to gain trust.

Authorities disclosed that investigators uncovered evidence suggesting the southwest Washington retiree was not Carty’s only victim, raising concerns that additional individuals may have suffered similar losses.

Federal prosecutors argued in court filings that the defendant’s conduct demonstrated a high likelihood of reoffending because of his persistent deception and lack of remorse.

“Carty’s conduct here shows he is relentless, callous, and has an aptitude for deception,” prosecutors stated in their sentencing memorandum.