Jamaican National Pleads Guilty In South Dakota To Over $180K Fraud Scheme

SOUTH DAKOTA – A Jamaican man, 35-year-old Dwayne Anderson, on Friday pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges in a U.S. district court. The charges stemmed from a years-long sweepstakes fraud.

 He was arrested in Jamaica in July 2024 on a U.S. indictment and extradited the following month. He has been held in custody since.

Anderson admitted that between 2010 and 2017, he posed under fake names and repeatedly contacted the victim by phone, email, and text message.

He falsely told the California woman she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes, but, needed to pay fees and taxes before collecting her winnings.

Trusting his claims, the victim sent him more than $181,000 but never received any payout.

Federal prosecutors said the case highlights the Justice Department’s efforts to crack down on international fraud targeting Americans.

Anderson’s sentencing date has not yet been set.