A resident of the Parish of St. James, Jamaica, was extradited to the United States and made his first appearance in federal court in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on charges related to his participation in a fake lottery scheme targeting elderly victims in the United States, the US Department of Justice and Postal Inspection Service announced today.
Damone D. Oakley, 40, of the Point District, St. James Parish, was charged on 16 counts with mail and wire fraud. The indictment was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Pennsylvania in June 2021 and was unsealed after the defendant was extradited to the United States.
According to the indictment, Oakley attempted to unlawfully enrich himself through a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme targeting the elderly. Victims across the United States receive letters, text messages or phone calls in which they are falsely informed that they have won millions of dollars and luxury vehicles in the lottery, but must first pay taxes and fees to claim their winnings. The indictment alleges that Oakley, using a variety of names, including “Officer Alex Logan” and “Officer Stan Valentine,” instructed his victims on how to send their money (and to whom the funds should be sent), including through the use of wire transfer, direct bank deposit, Service U.S. Post and private commercial mail operators. Victims were directed to send money directly to Oakley as well as to individuals in the United States and elsewhere who acted as intermediaries and sent the money to Oakley. In addition to sending cash or wire transfers, the indictment alleges that the victims were directed to purchase electronics, jewelry and clothing, and then the purchased items were sent to a mail delivery service in Florida. The victims never received “victory”.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch is committed to pursuing criminals who defraud vulnerable U.S. consumers — both at home and abroad — and to prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department. Civil Division of the Ministry of Justice. “This is the first extradition requested by the United States pursuant to the rules of evidence contained in the recently revised Jamaica Extradition Act, and we are encouraged by the simplified extradition process that led to the appearance of defendants in federal court to face these charges.”
“Scams like this target the most vulnerable people in our society,” said US Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Central District of Pennsylvania. “In the Central District of Pennsylvania, we are proud to prioritize and prosecute individuals involved in these actions and commend our law enforcement partners for helping to make this outcome possible.”
“U.S. Postal Inspection Service committed to investigating scammers, at home and abroad, who use U.S. mail. to enrich themselves by targeting and financially exploiting America’s most vulnerable consumers – the elderly,” said U.S. Superintendent Eric Shen. Postal Criminal Investigation Inspection Service Group. “Today’s extradition exemplifies the Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to collaborate with foreign and domestic law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant US Attorney Christian Haugsby for the Central District of Pennsylvania. The US Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Jamaican Police Force Lottery Fraud Task Force and the Jamaican Fugitive Detention Team provided critical assistance.
The department’s broad, broad-based efforts to combat older fraud seek to halt the widespread harm suffered by seniors from fraudulent schemes. However, the best prevention method is to share information about various types of elderly fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use the information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is 60 years of age or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, administered by the Office of Crime Victims, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personal support to callers by assessing victims’ needs and identifying relevant next steps. The case manager will identify the appropriate reporting agency, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, link callers directly to appropriate agents and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who committed fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the chances of recovery from losses. The hotline is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Justice Department’s Elders Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
An indictment is just an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
