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Oneike Mickhale Barnett Pleads Guilty in International Lottery Scheme
Oneike Mickhale Barnett, a Jamaican citizen, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with an international lottery scheme based in Jamaica, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Barnett was arrested in Orlando, Fla., on August 9, 2013, following his indictment by a federal grand jury in Ft. Lauderdale on August 9, 2012. He pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Ft. Lauderdale.
The scheme, which operated from 2008 through 2012, targeted elderly victims in the U.S. and induced them to pay thousands of dollars in fees for lottery winnings that they had not won. Barnett and his co-conspirators sent written and electronic communications to the victims, claiming to be from a genuine sweepstakes company and from federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Reserve.
According to the indictment, Barnett and his co-conspirators kept the victims’ money for their own benefit without paying any lottery winnings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.
The prosecution is part of the Justice Department’s effort to combat fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica that prey on American citizens. Americans have lost tens of millions of dollars to such schemes, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Barnett is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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