Cedar Rapids Woman Jailed for $108K Elder Fraud

Tea Lynette Ware, 37, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison yesterday for ripping off an elderly Illinois couple in a brazen lottery scam that drained their life savings. Ware admitted to orchestrating a scheme that preyed on the couple’s vulnerability, extracting $108,100 through lies, threats, and the manipulation of trust.

Ware pleaded guilty on June 9, 2016, to two counts of mail fraud and one count of using a fictitious name in mail fraud. During her plea, she confessed that from September 2015 through February 2016, she falsely told the elderly woman she had won a massive lottery payout. Ware insisted the prize could only be claimed after the victim paid upfront fees and taxes—money that was funneled through the U.S. mail. No lottery win existed. The entire operation was a calculated theft.

The victims, both elderly and already struggling, were targeted relentlessly. The husband lived in a long-term care facility with dementia, and the couple had changed their phone number to escape scam calls—only for Ware’s operation to find them again. Each fraudulent demand chipped away at their financial stability until they were picked clean, as U.S. District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade put it during sentencing. Judge Reade called Ware’s actions ‘despicable,’ emphasizing that the victims had no earning years left and now faced irreversible hardship.

In addition to prison, Ware was ordered to pay $108,100 in restitution and a $300 special assessment. She also forfeited $40,000 seized by the government before her indictment. She will serve a three-year term of supervised release after completing her sentence—parole is not an option in the federal system. Authorities made clear: exploiting seniors for profit carries steep consequences.

‘Whether abuse occurs in nursing homes or involves financial fraud schemes such as the one in which Ms. Ware participated, this office and the Elder Justice Task Force are committed to pursuing justice for the elderly,’ said U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau. He credited the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI for their relentless work in uncovering the scheme and bringing Ware to justice.

The Northern District of Iowa is one of ten nationwide selected to host an Elder Justice Task Force, aimed at dismantling systems of exploitation targeting seniors. With scams like Ware’s growing in frequency and sophistication, federal agencies are tightening collaboration with advocacy groups and local authorities to protect the vulnerable. The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative continues to push for accountability—because no retirement should end in ruin.

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