Lottery Scam Kingpins Sentenced in SC

United States Attorney Bill Nettles dropped the hammer today on a trio of SC lottery scam kingpins. Shadiki Brown, 29, from Little River; Davion Bellamy, 26, of Conway; and Ann Marie Yapp, 44, from North Myrtle Beach faced justice for their despicable scheme that bilked elderly Americans out of life savings. The scammers notified seniors nationwide that they had won big lottery prizes, only to demand exorbitant fees or taxes as a prerequisite for collecting those winnings.

This sinister syndicate didn’t just fleece money from victims; they shattered lives, inflicting emotional and financial devastation on more than 150 Americans. But justice is served, with Brown, Bellamy, and Yapp facing prison terms ranging from 27 to 78 months each. The trio was also ordered to cough up a collective $839,827 in restitution.

Brown and Bellamy took the fall early in the game, pleading guilty back in July 2014. Yapp followed suit in September of that year. Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, handed down the sentences, citing the scam’s widespread devastation on its countless victims.

U.S. District Judge Harwell couldn’t have been clearer: ‘The impact on these elderly victims has been nothing short of devastating.’ The sentence for Bellamy was 78 months, while Brown got 41 months, and Yapp received 27 months. Each was required to pay their respective restitution amounts.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Inspectors put in the legwork on this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys A. Bradley Parham and Eric Klumb led the prosecution charge, ensuring that justice was served for the vulnerable seniors exploited by these criminals.

The sentence of Shadiki Brown, Davion Bellamy, and Ann Marie Yapp has sent a powerful message: there’s no safe haven for fraudsters who prey on America’s most vulnerable. Let this serve as a stark reminder to those contemplating similar schemes that they’ll face the full force of the law.