A Jamaican national, Tavoy Farquharson, was sentenced on Mar. 23 to more than three years in federal prison for his involvement in a lottery fraud scheme that targeted victims across the United States, many of whom were elderly.
Farquharson, 34, received a sentence of 40 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson also ordered him to pay nearly $4 million in restitution.
According to public filings, Farquharson and others conspired from October 2020 through at least January 2024 to use the mail system as part of their fraudulent operation. Victims were led to believe they had won large cash prizes through lotteries or sweepstakes but were told they needed to pay taxes or fees upfront before collecting their winnings. In reality, the victims never received any prize money and lost significant amounts—over $3.5 million collectively—with Farquharson personally receiving more than $700,000.
Other individuals involved included brothers Dwayne Henry and Wayne Henry of Landover Hills, Maryland, and Nickoy Campbell, another Jamaican national. All previously pleaded guilty; Campbell and Dwayne Henry have already been sentenced earlier this month while Wayne Henry faces sentencing on September 2 with a potential maximum sentence of 22 years.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative aimed at combating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations by integrating personnel from multiple federal agencies.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland said: "Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults." Hayes commended all participating law enforcement agencies for their investigative work.
