SOUTH DAKOTA, Dec 16, CMC – A Jamaican national has been sentenced today to more than five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a long-running scheme to defraud an elderly California woman.
According to court documents, Dwayne Anderson, 36, of Hannover, Jamaica, undertook a scheme to defraud the American woman from 2010 until 2017.
The court heard that using fake names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes.
The defendant persuaded the victim to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the alleged winnings. He also carefully instructed the victim how to make the payments, including having her send money to an individual in South Dakota.
In furtherance of the scheme, Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and falsely told her that her winnings would be forthcoming so long as she paid the requested amounts.
The court heard that in total, the victim paid Anderson over US$181,000.
In September 2025, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a US indictment and was extradited to the United States.
At sentencing, Anderson was ordered to pay more than US$181,075 in restitution.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson. The Department of Justice further acknowledges the assistance of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in the matter.
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