Charmaine Anne King, International Fraudulent Lottery Scheme, Florida 2014
Convicted: Charmaine Anne King, International Fraudulent Lottery Scheme, Florida 2014
In a major crackdown on international fraudulent lottery schemes, a South Florida resident has been convicted of her role in a scheme that targeted U.S. citizens.
Charmaine Anne King, 51, of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, was convicted of one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud, and two counts of wire fraud in connection with the international fraudulent lottery scheme.
A federal jury in Miami returned the verdict on March 31, 2014. The case is part of the government's crackdown on international fraudulent lottery schemes.
The evidence presented at trial showed that King's co-conspirators contacted individuals in the U.S. and falsely informed them that they had won more than a million dollars in a lottery. The victims received letters from a purported sweepstakes company in the U.S. and included false and fraudulent cashier's checks made out to the victims for thousands of dollars.
The victims were instructed to call 'claims agents' who were actually co-conspirators, and when the victims called the purported claims agents, they were told that they had to pay several thousand dollars in fees in order to collect their purported lottery winnings.
The claims agents instructed the victims to deposit the cashier's checks in their bank accounts in order to purportedly cover the money they had to pay. The co-conspirators then instructed the victims on how to send and wire this money to King and others.
The evidence presented at trial showed that King kept a percentage of the money she received from victims and sent the rest of the money to a co-conspirator. King continued to participate in this scheme even after the U.S. Postal Inspection Service verbally informed her that she was participating in unlawful activity, and after she later signed a Cease and Desist Order requiring that she stop receiving money from victims of fraud.
King faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison on each count of conviction, a fine, and mandatory restitution. King's sentencing has been scheduled for April 17, 2014.
Consumers should report telemarketing fraud, including lottery fraud originating from Jamaica, to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or online at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
In related news, King's co-defendant, Althea Peart, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud on January 9, 2014. Peart is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2014.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director Jeffrey Steger and Trial Attorney Kathryn Drenning with the Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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