Mail fraud and international money laundering sent 64-year-old Roydel Nicholson of Rochester, NY, to federal prison for 87 months after a jury conviction in the sprawling Jamaican lottery scam. U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer handed down the sentence, ordering Nicholson to also pay $145,794 in restitution for his role as a cash courier for a transnational fraud ring that preyed on elderly victims across the U.S.
Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. confirmed the sentencing, which capped a federal prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field. Between December 2012 and January 2014, Nicholson used his Rochester address as a drop point for cash and checks funneled through the U.S. mail—over $145,000 from a single 95-year-old victim in California. The funds were part of a larger scam that falsely promised multimillion-dollar lottery winnings in exchange for upfront payments.
The scam operated through deceptive telemarketing calls placed from Jamaica, where fraudsters spoofed caller IDs to mask their locations. Victims were told they had won a massive jackpot but needed to pay taxes, fees, and processing costs before receiving their prize. These payments were routed not directly to Jamaica, but through U.S.-based intermediaries—money-mules like Nicholson—who collected the cash, skimmed a portion, and forwarded the rest overseas.
Nicholson’s role was not passive. He received multiple packages containing cash and checks, processed the transfers, and funneled illicit proceeds to co-conspirators in Jamaica and other jurisdictions. His actions fed a criminal ecosystem that, according to published estimates, has siphoned roughly $300 million annually from American seniors targeted for their trust and isolation.
The investigation was a joint effort by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Shelly Binkowski, Inspector-In-Charge of the Boston Division, and Homeland Security Investigations agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, led by Special Agent-In-Charge James Spero of the Buffalo Division. Postal inspectors played a critical role in tracing the flow of funds through the mail, a key element in building the case against the defendant.
The conviction underscores the reach and persistence of transnational fraud schemes exploiting the U.S. postal system and vulnerable populations. Roydel Nicholson now faces nearly seven years behind bars, but the broader Jamaican lottery scam continues to evolve, leaving federal agencies and watchdogs on high alert for the next wave of financial predators.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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