Jamaican man pleads guilty in $9M fraud scheme targeting 200 seniors in US

A 30-year-old Jamaican man has pleaded guilty to helping lead an international fraud ring that prosecutors say stole more than $9 million from more than 200 elderly victims in the United States through a sweepstakes scam.

Jordan Trought pleaded guilty June 1 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and bank fraud in federal court in the Southern District of New York.

Trought was arrested in Jamaica on Aug. 28, 2025, and later extradited to the United States.

According to the superseding indictment, plea agreement and statements made in court, the fraud scheme operated from at least 2015 through 2025 and targeted elderly victims with false claims that they had won large sums of money and luxury vehicles.

Victims typically received unsolicited phone calls or text messages from individuals using common names, such as “David Miller,” who claimed to represent a well-known marketing or sweepstakes company.

The victims were told they had to pay taxes, fees or other charges before they could collect their purported winnings.

After victims made initial payments, the scammers allegedly told them that additional money was required to receive their prizes.

Victims were instructed to send money through mailed checks, money orders and cash, as well as wire transfers and payment services including Zelle and Venmo.

Prosecutors said Trought and his co-conspirators also gained control of some victims’ bank accounts and used them to move stolen money.

The funds were ultimately transferred to associates of Trought and other members of the fraud ring, as well as to an automobile business operated by Trought in Jamaica, according to prosecutors.

Trought allegedly became ring leader

Prosecutors said Trought operated the scheme from Jamaica alongside co-conspirators in Jamaica and the United States.

He joined the fraud ring around March 2021 and eventually became one of its leaders, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Trought is being held responsible for more than $6 million stolen from more than 100 victims between March 2021 and his arrest in August 2025.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Trought admitted to helping lead a scheme that exploited elderly victims through false promises of sweepstakes winnings.

“Trought and his co-conspirators allegedly exploited trust, age, and hope for profit, including by taking control of victims’ bank accounts and routing stolen money to Jamaica,” Clayton said.

The case was investigated by special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division.

The U.S. Marshals Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Jamaican authorities, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force, also assisted with the investigation, arrest and extradition.

Faces up to 30 years

Trought pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

He has also agreed to pay $6,166,227 in restitution and an additional $6,166,227 in forfeiture.

The maximum sentence is set by Congress, but the actual sentence will be determined by a federal judge.

Trought is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander, Margaret Vasu and Ioannis Drivas are prosecuting the case through the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s White Plains Division.