HARRISONBURG, Virginia (AP) — A Jamaican citizen living in Virginia has been charged with operating a fraudulent lottery scheme.
A grand jury returned a 27-count federal indictment Thursday charging Carlos O'Brian Ricketts with mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. The 31-year-old Frederick County resident's arraignment and detention hearing is set for Monday morning in US District Court in Harrisonburg.
According to the indictment, Ricketts and a co-conspirator tricked victims into sending Ricketts thousands of dollars to cover fees for bogus lottery winnings. The Department of Justice says the indictment is part of the government's crackdown on fraudulent lottery schemes based in Jamaica that target elderly people.
Ricketts' lawyer, Andrea Harris of the federal public defender's office, did not immediately respond to a voicemail message Friday.
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