Fraudster extradited from Jamaica to South Carolina for prosecution
By Kate Northrop
A Jamaican national has been sentenced to time in federal prison for his role in a years-long lottery telemarketing scam that preyed on at least 115 people.
Investigators cracked down on a wire fraud lottery scam that targeted at least 115 elderly victims.
Alando Gentles, 43, of Jamaica, was sentenced to 36 months behind bars after pleading guilty in federal court to wire fraud conspiracy tied to a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based lottery scam that ran for nearly seven years.
It involved at least 115 known victims who were defrauded from around June 2015 until around May 2022.
Authorities with Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service learned that fraudsters in Myrtle Beach were operating a cash award and lottery scam that involved a familiar script, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.
Gentles and his co-conspirators specifically contacted elderly victims by phone and mail, falsely informing them that they had just won a sweepstakes prize. Victims were then told they would have to pay taxes and fees upfront to claim or receive their winnings — a textbook red flag for lottery scams.
Victims who fell for the scheme used nearly every payment method imaginable to send the demanded fees. Some purchased prepaid cards, while others sent USPS money orders, bank money orders, mailed cash, or personal checks. Still others made direct bank deposits into co-conspirators' accounts or sent wire transfers.
Gentles, operating out of Jamaica, didn't just call victims. According to investigators, he also received wire transfers of the stolen funds in Jamaica and made ATM withdrawals from an account holding scam proceeds.
After he was indicted, Gentles was extradited from Jamaica to face federal prosecution in South Carolina.
Chief United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon ultimately handed Gentles 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision after his release. There is no parole in the federal system, meaning Gentles will serve nearly the entirety of the sentence.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered Gentles to pay $349,433.75 in restitution to the victims of his crime.
Scammers who prey on the elderly are the lowest of the low. Kudos to Homeland Security, US Postal Inspectors, and the US Attorney's Office for nailing this jerk and his cohorts. Gentles deserves every day of that thirty-six month sentence he received. I just hope that $349,433.75 in restitution is enough to make all of his victims whole again.
A big salute to law enforcement! Over the past two years, they've done an outstanding job cracking down on Scammers and identity thieves.
My brother has been a victim of identity theft since 2015, and you wouldn't believe how many people have used his identity over the years. Recently, Some were working in construction, others opened cable TV accounts, and some even took out student loans to attend universities. One person actually bought a Porsche and tried to take it to Mexico. You name it, they've done it!
Fortunately, law enforcement has been actively tracking down those responsible, and everyone involved has now been identified. After more than a decade of stress and frustration, my brother can finally breathe a little easier. It's a tremendous relief, and I'm truly grateful to the officers and investigators who made it possible.
send him back let him do time in his country not ours taxpayers fed up paiding there way!
Bumbahol. Yea he wasn't alone
* The sentence is too short, 15 years max. Discourage this behavior once and for all.
Dammit boi 🤦🏾♂️
36 months equals 1,095 days. Divide that by 115 victims. He got 9.5 days in prison for each person he scammed. He got off easy.
Since this is about scammers, if you have never checked your credit report you should do it. You may be surprised at the errors on it the first time you see it. First time I checked mine I found out I was issued a a gas station credit card when I was 10 years old. How did that that happen? They had me confused with my father, same first name and middle initial. So his info was on my report. And they had my parents change of addresses on my report also, same reason. If you do check it, do all three reporting/monitoring agencies, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, because your credit scores may be different from one to another.
Also it is worth subscribing to one or two or them. Your scores may change on one and not on the others. Good to know if you are applying for a loan or credit. Your personal info is out there way more you know. And it will protect you from fraudulent charges and accounts.