A Jamaican national has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for his role in a years-long sweepstakes fraud scheme that targeted an elderly woman in California.
Dwayne Anderson, 36, of Hanover, Jamaica, was sentenced on Monday to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in the scheme. He was also ordered to pay more than $181,075 in restitution.
According to court documents, Anderson carried out the fraud between 2010 and 2017, using fake names to contact the victim by phone, text message and email. He falsely told the woman that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes and persuaded her to send money to cover supposed fees and taxes linked to the alleged winnings.
Prosecutors said Anderson carefully instructed the victim on how to make the payments, including directing her to send money to an individual in South Dakota. He repeatedly contacted her with additional demands for payment, falsely assuring her that the winnings would be released once the requested amounts were paid. In total, the victim sent Anderson more than $181,000.
Anderson pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of wire fraud. He was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was later extradited to the United States.
The sentencing was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald A. Parsons Jr. for the District of South Dakota, and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Prosecutors included Assistant Chief J. Matt Williams and Trial Attorneys Brandon J. Robers and Edward E. Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson for the District of South Dakota.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure Anderson’s arrest and August 2024 extradition. The Department of Justice also acknowledged the assistance of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
