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Woman denied $43 million jackpot, offered steak dinner insteadNews Story
It was a selfie she thought was worth nearly $43 million. Katrina Bookman hit the jackpot on a slot machine in late August at Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens. She even took an excited self-portrait with the machine displaying her winnings: $42,949,672. It would have been the largest slot machine jackpot in US history. I can't even describe the feeling. It's like my whole body just got numb, Bookman said. But when she came back the next day to find out the exact size of her jack
Nov 3, 2016, 12:53 pm - Lottery News

South Florida musician gets prison term for lottery fraudNews Story
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
Jun 1, 2016, 8:07 am - Lottery News

Florida woman admits role in lottery fraudNews Story
A Broward County, Florida, woman pleaded guilty Monday to her role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing lottery fraud that targeted seniors in the U.S. Elizabeth Gonzalez, 25, of Hollywood and Miami Gardens, a nurse, pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud conspiracy charge in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Her husband, Delroy Drummond, a musician who also goes by the name Top Banga, age 26, has been locked up has been locked up without bond since January. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
May 17, 2016, 7:54 am - Lottery News

N.Y. man pleads guilty in bogus lottery schemeNews Story
A West Hempstead, New York, man pleaded guilty to federal charges in a Boston courtroom Friday in connection with his role in a fake lottery scam targeting senior citizens. Wilder Vladimir Merelan, 29, admitted he helped scheme to victimize people ranging in age from 69 to 91 between 2012 and 2015, according to the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office. The victims were told they had won millions in a lottery but had to pay taxes first to the Internal Revenue Service before they could get t
Apr 11, 2016, 5:45 am - Lottery News

US man pleads guilty to participating in Jamaica-based lottery scamNews Story
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a South Florida man has pleaded guilty for his role in a Jamaica-based telemarketing fraud scheme. Delroy Drummond, 26, of Broward County, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Drummond is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, where he will face a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison. According to documents and information presented in co
Mar 15, 2016, 8:27 am - Lottery News

FBI warns about lottery fraudNews Story
The telephone call came from out of the blue. The man on the line told the 83-year-old retired schoolteacher she had won a substantial lottery prize. All that was required to claim the windfall was to pay taxes and other fees. Before it was over, the victim a Virginia resident who had meticulously saved for her retirement was out more than $500,000 in a scam that has become all too familiar among the elderly. The criminals behind these lottery frauds and other telemarketing scams prey on s
Mar 9, 2016, 10:00 am - Lottery News

Federal officials work to extradite Jamaican lottery scammersNews Story
Jamaican lottery scammer Sanjay Williams got off a plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June 2013, on his way to meet with the people who moved money for him. He was promptly arrested by U.S. law enforcement authorities, convicted in May and sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. prison. While the arrest on American soil spared authorities from extraditing Williams, rounding up his associate in the wide-ranging operation and 13 other suspects still believed to be in Jamaica is proving to be more o
Dec 26, 2015, 1:27 pm - Lottery News

Ex-TSA agent, Atlanta police officer sentenced in lottery schemeNews Story
A Douglasville, Ga., man must serve 27 months in prison and one year of supervised release after pleading guilty for his role in a Jamaican-based fraudulent lottery scheme targeting senior-adult victims in the United States. Dominic Hugh Smith, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina. Smith was ordered to pay $724,408.79 in restitution, the U.S. Justice Department said in a prepared statement. In June 2014, Smith pleaded
Oct 26, 2015, 12:29 pm - Lottery News

What do Disneyland, an indoor slide, and a popcorn maker have in common?News Story
Answer: They're all items that a family from Ireland want to purchase after winning the lottery. A couple with a young family from Dublin, Ireland, have won a Lotto jackpot prize of 7,384,790 (US$8.4 million). The pair didn't realize they were winners until almost two weeks after the draw, which was on on Saturday September 19. They purchased their ticket, a 40 Quick pick play valid for 8 draws, in the Supervalu store at Killiney Shopping Centre in Dun Laoghaire on September 15. Howe
Oct 12, 2015, 9:17 pm - Lottery News

Driven to death by phone scammersNews Story
The phone calls wouldn't stop. The man on the other end of the line made promises of a big payoff: millions of dollars in prize money. But first the IRS needed $1,500 in taxes, he insisted, then the jackpot would arrive at the family home, a camera crew ready to capture the excitement. The calls came a couple of times a day; other times, nearly 50. Mr. Albert, we need the money to be sent today ... Don't hang up the phone, Mr. Albert ... Mr. Albert, don't tell your wife about this
Oct 7, 2015, 10:08 pm - Lottery News