South Florida musician gets prison term for lottery fraud

Jun 1, 2016, 8:07 am (19 comments)

Scam Alert

A South Florida musician who helped funnel money from elderly victims of a $500,000 lottery hoax was sentenced Tuesday to three years and five months in federal prison.

Delroy Drummond, aka Top Banga, 26, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, admitted he worked with allies who contacted seniors all over the U.S. and duped them into believing they had won a lottery prize.

The victims were told they had to pre-pay several thousands of dollars in taxes and fees before their winnings could be turned over to them. Some of that cash was sent, via mail and electronic transfers, to Drummond and he shared that money with his co-conspirators, investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.

"I wish that everybody I have hurt can find it in their hearts to forgive me," Drummond told U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas Tuesday in federal court in Fort Lauderdale.

Prosecutor Randy Katz told the judge that Drummond was a "financial predator." He said the conspiracy targeted "elderly and infirm" people who received calls that appeared to come from U.S. phone numbers, but are believed to have come from fraudulent telemarketers in Jamaica.

One 83-year-old victim, a retired schoolteacher from Huntington Beach, Calif., wrote a letter to the judge informing him she sent $127,000, in about 97 separate transactions, to sweepstakes frauds, including the one that involved Drummond. She said she obtained three loans from three banks and withdrew money from her investment, trust and checking accounts.

"Before all this happened, I prided myself on being a well-educated and competent woman involved with various organizations, including church, and living a fulfilling life... I still can't forget the pain I caused myself and my loved ones. It hurts!" wrote the woman, whose name was not provided. She said the people who tricked her kept calling her, even at night, after she stopped sending money.

Drummond, who was born in Britain and lived in Jamaica and the U.S., apologized to the judge, the prosecution and all of his victims. He said he had disappointed his family and regretted that he would be imprisoned for the first few years of his unborn child's life.

Drummond pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy and admitted he was a "runner" for the fraudsters. The judge ordered Drummond to pay more than $420,000 in restitution and he has agreed to turn over more than $23,000 in cash he had.

Drummond's pregnant wife, Elizabeth Gonzalez, attended his sentencing but did not speak. She pleaded guilty to her related role in the same telemarketing lottery fraud two weeks ago.

Gonzalez, 25, also pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and is free on $100,000 bond. She is expected to face about one year to 18 months in federal prison when she is sentenced in July, authorities said.

Drummond, who has permanent U.S. resident status and has been jailed since his January arrest, is expected to be deported after he serves his prison sentence.

Prosecutors previously used screenshots from videos that Drummond posted online that showed him "lip-syncing to a song and flashing wads of cash" while sitting in a black Mercedes to persuade a judge that he should be locked up after his arrest.

Drummond received numerous mailings and wire transfers and was recorded on security video using a fake ID and picking up money sent via Western Union, agents said.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Sun Sentinel

Comments

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

What a lowlife!

Hit With Stick

luckyshoes's avatarluckyshoes

The only regret he has is that he got caught.

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

We grow up learning that you don't get something for nothing.

If you don't buy a ticket, you can't win anything.

What happens that people fall for such gimmicks and schemes?

Just say NO! 

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

Where is this piece of garbage going to get the $420,000 for restitution ?

He should be made an indentured servant to his victims till he works it off @ the minimum wage rate,

instead he'll be in prison where he's supported by us.

dr65's avatardr65

Oh how sorry everyone is after they get caught. 25 years old, baby on the way, wife going to prison too,

then deportation. What a sad, sorry start for the baby.

MercifulLove

Exactly, but for some reason people keep falling for this scheme year after year.  I don't know, maybe it's out of desperation, hope, greed........

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by MercifulLove on Jun 1, 2016

Exactly, but for some reason people keep falling for this scheme year after year.  I don't know, maybe it's out of desperation, hope, greed........

These creeps take advantage of the fact that the elderly are more trusting and are not generally familiar with the technology that can make the thieves appear to be legitimate.  For example, if an elderly person sees "Publisher's Clearinghouse" appear on their phone's Caller ID, they believe it.  Meanwhile, younger, more technically-savvy people understand that it is simple to fake a Caller ID name and do not blindly trust they are speaking with the real company.  Same goes for e-mail.

MercifulLove

Oh ok I understand. I do however find it interesting that the elderly are so trusting, simply based on the idea that with age comes wisdom. But I guess a lot time the elderly are isolated and lonely and long for ways to connect with people. Some are also probably financially insecure.  And the scammers know how to prey on that.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Jun 1, 2016

These creeps take advantage of the fact that the elderly are more trusting and are not generally familiar with the technology that can make the thieves appear to be legitimate.  For example, if an elderly person sees "Publisher's Clearinghouse" appear on their phone's Caller ID, they believe it.  Meanwhile, younger, more technically-savvy people understand that it is simple to fake a Caller ID name and do not blindly trust they are speaking with the real company.  Same goes for e-mail.

On a somewhat related note, I used to get calls from someone claiming to be the IRS telling me they had been trying to reach me and this was the last chance or I would be prosecuted because I owed money. The very first time they did this several years ago, I was pretty concerned. Then after thinking about it I realized the IRS never calls people, they send letters. So I just ignored the calls.

The scammers were finally caught and prosecuted a couple weeks ago.

hsg2000

We should begin tit for tat as in Moslem world to punish criminals 

let us teach the criminals like this band player by chopping his right hand so he remains greedy all his life

music*'s avatarmusic*

Quote: Originally posted by hsg2000 on Jun 1, 2016

We should begin tit for tat as in Moslem world to punish criminals 

let us teach the criminals like this band player by chopping his right hand so he remains greedy all his life

 America is not a Muslim country. I hope to God we will never be. 

 Taking an eye for an  eye will lead us all to blindness.

 Instead of cursing the darkness we shall light a candle.Dance

TnTicketlosers's avatarTnTicketlosers

Until they close off the boarders it will continue,they are here for a reason,it's not AMERICAN love that we have..

sully16's avatarsully16

Bye Bye!

noise-gate

Can you imagine this guy meeting the leader of a prison gang who asks him " what you in for, murder?"..eeh, no, defrauding Elderly people.

What's your name?- folks call me" Top banga".....is that right. 

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