A Jamaican man has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota to charges stemming from a years-long sweepstakes fraud that cost a California woman more than $181,000.
Dwayne Anderson, 35, of Hanover, Jamaica, entered his plea Friday to federal wire fraud charges. He was arrested in Jamaica in July 2024 on a U.S. indictment and extradited the following month. He has been held in custody since.
According to court documents, Anderson admitted that between 2010 and 2017, he posed under fake names and repeatedly contacted the victim by phone, email, and text message. He falsely told her she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes but needed to pay fees and taxes before collecting her winnings. Trusting his claims, the victim sent him more than $181,000 but never received any payout.
Federal prosecutors said the case highlights the Justice Department’s efforts to crack down on international fraud targeting Americans.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting Americans from the threats posed by transnational criminals and will vigorously pursue them, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Anderson is the latest example in the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat these kinds of foreign based schemes and hold those involved accountable.”
“Americans are increasingly falling victim to devastating fraud schemes perpetrated by transnational criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “Whether it happens in a rural community or a metropolitan area, the Department of Justice will ensure these criminals are held to account for their shameless targeting of vulnerable individuals and their hard-earned savings.”
“If you target vulnerable Americans with schemes designed to steal their hard-earned money, you will become our target,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the USPIS Criminal Investigations Group. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting our communities. We will find you, we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) led the investigation, with assistance from Jamaican authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Anderson’s sentencing date has not yet been set.