Jamaican man pleads guilty in $9 million sweepstakes scam targeting elderly Americans
Key Points(5)
- A Jamaican national has pleaded guilty in connection with an international sweepstakes fraud scheme that defrauded more than 200 elderly Americans of over $9 million over a decade-long operation, U.S.
- federal prosecutors announced.
- Jordan Trought entered a guilty plea on June 1 before U.S.
- Magistrate Judge Judith C.
- McCarthy to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud.
A Jamaican national has pleaded guilty in connection with an international sweepstakes fraud scheme that defrauded more than 200 elderly Americans of over $9 million over a decade-long operation, U.S. federal prosecutors announced.
Jordan Trought entered a guilty plea on June 1 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud. Trought was arrested in Jamaica in August 2025 and later extradited to the United States to face charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Trought was a senior member of a Jamaica-based fraud ring that targeted elderly victims across the United States between 2015 and 2025.
Prosecutors said victims typically received unsolicited phone calls or text messages informing them that they had won substantial cash prizes and luxury vehicles through well-known sweepstakes promotions. The callers, often using fictitious names, told victims they first needed to pay taxes or administrative fees before their winnings could be released.
After victims made initial payments, they were repeatedly told that additional fees were required, leading many to send multiple payments through checks, money orders, cash, wire transfers, Zelle, and Venmo transactions.
Authorities said members of the fraud ring also gained access to some victims' bank accounts and used them to transfer funds. The stolen money was ultimately routed to co-conspirators in Jamaica and the United States, as well as to an automobile business operated by Trought in Jamaica.
Federal prosecutors said Trought joined the organization around March 2021 and eventually became one of its leaders. He is being held responsible for more than $6.1 million stolen from over 100 victims between 2021 and his arrest in 2025.
"Jordan Trought admitted today that he helped lead an international fraud ring that stole millions of dollars from elderly victims across the United States through lies about sweepstakes winnings," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement.
Clayton said the scheme exploited the trust and vulnerability of older Americans, adding that authorities remain committed to pursuing fraudsters who operate across international borders.
As part of his plea agreement, Trought agreed to pay restitution and forfeit assets totaling $6,166,227.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, although the final sentence will be determined by U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti at a later date.
The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs, the Jamaican Constabulary Force, and other Jamaican authorities.
The case is being prosecuted by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
