The Department of Justice says the prosecution is part of efforts to work with federal and local law enforcement to clamp down on fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica that target American citizens
WASHINGTON, USA (CMC) — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a Las Vegas, Nevada, woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering linked to an international lottery fraud scheme involving co-conspirators in Florida and Jamaica.
As part of her guilty plea, the DOJ said Samaiyah Sharron Armistead agreed that, had the case gone to trial, the United States would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that in February 2014 she received US$7,500 in cash at the direction of a co-conspirator and then deposited most of that money into two bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirator.
In addition, the DOJ said Armistead received US$32,500 in cash on April 22, 2014, at a pickup point in Berlin, Maryland, where she was scheduled to meet a victim of a lottery scheme.
Instead, Armistead was arrested by police at the pickup point after being handed the money by an undercover officer, the DOJ said.
“The Justice Department is committed to combatting international lottery fraud schemes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C Mizer, head of the department’s Civil Division.
“Conspiring to launder money is a serious crime because it hides other criminal activity and its success encourages fraudsters to continue their schemes,” he added.
“The Justice Department will continue to prosecute those who seek to conceal criminal activity through money laundering.”
Documents charging Armistead with conspiracy to commit money laundering was filed on September 7, the DOJ said.
According to the charging document, Armistead agreed with other individuals to “knowingly conduct a financial transaction that involved the proceeds of unlawful activity, knowing that the property involved in the transaction represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, and knowing that the transaction was designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of the unlawful activity”.
The government was not required to prove that Armistead knew the details of the fraud, but the Government did need to establish that Armistead believed the money was connected to an illegal activity, the DOJ said.
Armistead faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of US$500,000 when she is sentenced on December 22, the DOJ said.
It said this prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to work with federal and local law enforcement to comb at fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica that prey on American citizens.
According to the US Postal Inspection Service, Americans have lost tens of millions of dollars to fraudulent foreign lotteries.