Jamaica authorities prepare 1st extradition to US involving suspect in island’s lottery scams
KINGSTON, Jamaica _ Jamaican authorities are preparing to extradite a fraud suspect to the U.S. to face charges of allegedly participating in a lottery scam that fleeced thousands of dollars from elderly Americans.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force said Thursday that it will be the first lottery scam extradition since the transnational fraud became entrenched in the island’s underworld years ago.
Police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Davion Barrett of St. James parish, where many of Jamaica‘s scam rings have been based over the years.
Last year in a Florida federal court, Barrett’s alleged accomplice was sentenced to five years in prison for running a lottery scam that targeted elderly Americans who were told they had to pay fees to collect their winnings. But the sweepstakes were bogus.
Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
