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A shocking international fraud case has sent waves across the Caribbean after a Jamaican man was sentenced in the United States for what prosecutors described as a relentless and emotionally manipulative lottery scam targeting a 73-year-old American woman.

According to reports published by the Jamaica Gleaner, 34-year-old Roshard Carty allegedly persuaded the elderly woman to sell her Washington home, drain her savings, and repeatedly send him money over several years while falsely promising her access to a fictitious US$22 million lottery jackpot.

United States authorities reportedly said the victim sent hundreds of thousands of dollars after being told she needed to pay endless “fees”, “taxes”, insurance costs, customs duties, and even supposed FBI-related charges before she could claim the fake prize.

Court documents reportedly revealed that the woman sold her home in 2021 and deposited approximately US$448,000 into her bank account before sending the proceeds to Carty. Prosecutors further alleged that months earlier, the retiree had already borrowed substantial sums against her property after complaining that she did not have enough money to continue paying the mounting demands.

Authorities said the scam became deeply personal and psychologically manipulative, with Carty allegedly referring to the woman as “Hun,” “Honey,” and “Love” while promising to “give her one of his houses” to gain her trust.

The case has reignited concerns internationally about lottery scamming operations linked to the Caribbean, particularly schemes targeting vulnerable senior citizens in North America. US prosecutors described the operation as “relentless” and accused the Jamaican national of using deception over a four-year period to exploit the elderly victim emotionally and financially.

According to the plea agreement and sentencing memorandum cited in the report, the victim and the accused exchanged more than 2,000 text messages between 2021 and 2024. Prosecutors alleged that even after the woman was hospitalised for months in 2022, the scammer allegedly continued contacting her under the guise of checking on her wellbeing while still demanding money connected to fake customs fees and fabricated tax issues.

American authorities also alleged that sophisticated deception tactics were used throughout the scheme. Investigators said Carty reportedly created telephone numbers with Washington area codes to make it appear as though he was calling locally from the victim’s community, while falsely claiming he had travelled to Washington on a private jet as part of the so-called prize delivery process.

In one particularly disturbing allegation, prosecutors said that after the woman attempted to cut contact, trucks were allegedly sent to her residence under false pretences, while pizza deliveries and transportation arrangements were reportedly used in attempts to manipulate or pressure her further.

US officials said Carty was arrested in Jamaica in August 2025 before being extradited to the United States two months later. He reportedly pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges earlier this year and was sentenced last Thursday to three years in prison by the US District Court in Tacoma, Washington.

Federal investigators also alleged that proceeds from the scheme were used to purchase property in Mandeville, Jamaica, while additional evidence reportedly showed spending on jewellery and expensive clothing.

US officials involved in the case delivered scathing assessments of the accused’s conduct. Prosecutors reportedly described the operation as cruel and predatory, arguing that the victim was effectively stripped of her life savings through sustained manipulation and intimidation.

The case has once again placed the spotlight on transnational lottery fraud schemes that have plagued sections of the Caribbean for years, with law enforcement agencies warning that elderly individuals remain among the most targeted victims globally.