Markenzy Lapointe U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
A Miami resident has been sentenced to 44 months in federal prison for his involvement in a lottery fraud scheme that targeted senior citizens across the United States. The court also ordered him to pay $234,995 in restitution to the victims. This sentence follows Akiel Doman's guilty plea in October 2024 for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and criminal contempt.
Between May 2020 and July 2022, Doman, aged 34 from North Miami Beach, Florida, along with others, contacted victims nationwide claiming they had won large sums of money and sometimes a car in a lottery. The victims were falsely informed that they needed to pay fees or taxes upfront to claim their winnings. Instructions on how and where to send these payments were provided by individuals working with Doman. Consequently, the victims transferred funds directly into Doman’s bank accounts.
Doman was previously prohibited from engaging in lottery frauds by a consent decree issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 2019 under case number No. 18-cv-24731.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division.
The investigation was conducted by USPIS Miami, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani prosecuted the case.
For further details, related court documents can be accessed on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or through PACER under case number 24-cr-60133.
