A Jamaican man extradited to the United States to face fraud charges has been ordered detained pending trial for allegedly orchestrating a multi-million dollar lottery scam that defrauded an elderly American woman of more than $800,000.
Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was returned to the Western District of Washington on October 23, following his arrest in Jamaica on August 21, U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced.
Early last week, Magistrate Judge David W. Christal ruled that Carty will remain in custody until his trial, which is scheduled for December 22.
According to court documents, Carty first contacted the 73-year-old victim in 2020, claiming she had won a $22 million Publishers Clearing House prize. Over the next three and a half years, prosecutors allege, he manipulated her into sending more than $800,000 in supposed taxes, fees, and other costs needed to claim the fictitious winnings.
Investigators say Carty repeatedly deceived and pressured the victim, at one point falsely claiming the FBI was monitoring their calls and instructing her not to tell anyone about the “win.” His demands for money allegedly escalated over time, including urging her to withdraw cash to send via FedEx, persuading her to borrow against her home, and ultimately convincing her to sell the property.
The indictment further claims Carty harassed the victim with calls and text messages from multiple numbers. When she tried to sever contact, he allegedly sent tow trucks and pizza deliveries to her home and even contacted her landlord to request a welfare check, all in attempts to re-engage her.
Authorities say the funds were sent to various couriers in the United States, and Carty now faces serious fraud charges related to the elaborate scheme.
