Sheila Denise Kelly-Christie, Lottery Scam, Florida 2015

Fort Pierce Woman Pleads Guilty to Jamaican Lottery Scam

Fort Pierce, FL – A local woman has pleaded guilty to participating in a Jamaican lottery scam that targeted vulnerable individuals across the United States.

Sheila Denise Kelly-Christie, 48, of Fort Pierce, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 2326.

According to court documents, Kelly-Christie was a participant in a Jamaica-based scam that primarily targeted persons over the age of 55. The scam involved contacting individuals by telephone and falsely telling them they had won a lottery or sweepstakes prize. The victims were instructed to send money to the scammers in order to pay non-existent fees, registration taxes, and other costs.

The co-conspirators would direct the victims to send their payments to individuals and addresses located in Florida. Kelly-Christie and individuals she would recruit to aid in the scam would receive money from the victims by U.S. mail, wire transfer, or deposits that were uploaded to debit cards. In turn, Kelly-Christie would keep ten percent of the fraudulently induced payments and forward the remainder of the monies to co-conspirators in Jamaica.

During the course of the fraudulent scheme, Kelly-Christie is believed to have received and forwarded over $70,000 in fraudulently induced payments from victims. Sentencing is scheduled for August 10, 2015, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Ft. Pierce. Kelly-Christie faces up to 15 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore M. Cooperstein.

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