The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has suspended a female cop following reports of her arrest in the United States on charges of alleged wire fraud, mail fraud, and drug trafficking.
Shelian Allen, 42, was arrested on February 4 by members of the Homeland Security Investigation team shortly after she arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to court documents, Allen has been accused of leading a lottery scamming organization that fleeced millions from unsuspecting victims.
“A review of numerous accounts tied to this organization revealed a loss amount in excess of US$1.69 million from 17 victims across the country, including a Brown County victim,” the document stated.
In a statement, the High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force said it will continue to collaborate with its international counterparts in this matter.
With lottery scamming as one of the prominent criminal activities in Jamaica, more women getting involved in its operations. Less than a week ago in Jamaica, a woman was also arrested after police seized lottery scamming paraphernalia in St. James.
South Florida is a key target for scammers
Jamaican scammers have also begun to target South Florida more heavily. In 2021, a popular dancehall music producer Donte Johnson, widely known as Papi Don Muziq, was arrested and charged for scamming in South Florida.
The 25-year-old hitmaker, who hails from Montego Bay, was taken into custody after being accused of running an elaborate scam operation in the state. Detectives identified at least 17 additional elderly victims and believe there may be others who fell victim to the producer’s scam. In total, detectives estimate Johnson stole approximately US$300,000 from the 17 victims who live all over the country.
In recent years, lottery scamming, which illegally generates millions of US dollars each year, has reached crisis levels, and has ironically, become a trending topic in dancehall music. The scammers, in their perfected international accents, call foreigners and convince them they have won a prize or the lottery, but the cash or prizes will not be released without payment of fees or taxes. Montego Bay, whilst marketed as a tourist city, is considered the center of lottery scamming activities in Jamaica.
Since late last year, the Anti-Lottery Scam Task Force of the JCF has intensified its operations, conducting several raids across the island to clamp down on individuals involved in lottery scamming. The task force’s operations have concentrated heavily in the parishes of St. James, Hanover, Trelawny, and St. Elizabeth.
