Jamaican Man Gets 3 Years for Role in Lottery Scam That Told Elderly 'Winners' to Pay Taxes and Fees

Published Oct. 8, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

The call or letter says you've won. There's just one catch: before the money can be released, you need to pay the taxes and fees. Federal prosecutors in South Carolina say that pitch drew in at least 115 elderly victims over seven years, and one of the men behind it has now been sentenced to federal prison.

Alando Gentles, 43, of Jamaica, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision, for wire fraud conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina announced on Oct. 7, 2026. Chief U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon also ordered him to pay $349,433.75 in restitution to the victims [1][2].

Gentles was extradited from Jamaica after he was indicted, according to prosecutors [1].

How the scam worked

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) learned that individuals in Myrtle Beach were running a "cash award/lottery telemarketing scam with domestic and international connections, targeted at elderly victims," from around June 2015 until around May 2022 [1].

Prosecutors described the scheme this way [1][2]:

1. The "win." Gentles and co-conspirators contacted elderly people by phone and mail and falsely told them they had won a sweepstakes.
2. The catch. The victims were told they had to pay taxes and fees to claim or receive their winnings.
3. The payment. Victims bought prepaid cards, USPS money orders and bank money orders; mailed cash or personal checks; made deposits into co-conspirators' bank accounts; or wired money to co-conspirators' bank accounts.
4. The cash-out. Besides calling victims, Gentles received wire transfers of scheme proceeds in Jamaica and made ATM withdrawals in Jamaica from an account holding money obtained from the scheme.

The investigation found at least 115 victims, prosecutors said. The release did not name any co-conspirators, and we have not named anyone else here.

The person sentenced

Alando Gentles, 43, of Jamaica [1]:

• Offense: Wire fraud conspiracy
• Sentence: 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
• Restitution: $349,433.75 to the victims
• Judge: Chief U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon (Florence, S.C.)
• Investigators: HSI and USPIS
• Prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel

The release does not say whether Gentles pleaded guilty or was convicted at trial, or the date of the sentencing hearing, and we did not locate the court docket.

Why "pay to collect" is always a scam

The Federal Trade Commission puts it plainly: "If you have to pay to get your prize, it's a scam. Real prizes are free" [3]. That holds whether the fee is called taxes, customs, insurance, processing or a "release" charge. A real sweepstakes doesn't ask winners to pay before collecting.

Red flags

• You "won" a contest you never entered, often a foreign lottery or a big-name sweepstakes.
• You must pay first, for taxes, fees or shipping, before you get anything.
• They want gift cards, prepaid cards, money orders, cash in the mail or a wire transfer. These are hard to trace and hard to reverse.
• Calls or letters from overseas, or callers who can't explain how you entered.
• Repeat calls and urgency: "You'll lose the prize if you don't pay today."
• Requests to keep it secret from family, the bank or the police.
• A "second fee" after the first payment, or a new caller claiming to be a government agent or lawyer who can help you collect.

What to do

1. Don't pay, and hang up. No legitimate prize requires payment.
2. Talk to someone you trust before sending any money, especially an older relative who may be getting repeat calls.
3. If you've already paid, contact the company you used (gift card issuer, bank, wire service or post office for money orders) right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed.
4. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. If the scam came by mail, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service [3].
5. Report online and phone fraud to the FBI at ic3.gov. People 60 and older who need help filing can call the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) [4].
6. Expect follow-up scams. People who have paid once are often targeted again, sometimes by callers posing as officials who can recover the money for a fee.

Case status (as of Oct. 8, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 8, 2026	Source
Alando Gentles, 43, Jamaica	U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina (Florence)	Sentenced (announced Oct. 7, 2026) to 36 months in prison and 3 years of supervision for wire fraud conspiracy; ordered to pay $349,433.75 in restitution	[1], [2]

Statuses can change, including through appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina, press release on the sentencing of Alando Gentles, Oct. 7, 2026 (as distributed by Public). https://www.pubt.io/view/70B78EBA49A5F3668D3D9250364AF7CD5E49CB47
2. Meg Richards, "Jamaican man sentenced in lottery scam with Myrtle Beach ties," WPDE, Oct. 7, 2026. https://wpde.com/news/local/jamaican-man-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-lottery-scam-sweepstakes-co-conspirators-taxes-fees-federal-prosecution-scheme-us-attorneys-office
3. Federal Trade Commission, "Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams," consumer advice, September 2025. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fake-prize-sweepstakes-and-lottery-scams
4. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, "Scammers Use Couriers to Collect Cash in Cryptocurrency Investment Scams," Alert I-061526-PSA, June 15, 2026 (includes Elder Justice Hotline information). https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260615

---

Corrections and updates: If you are named in this article, or represent someone who is, and believe anything here is inaccurate or out of date (including a dismissal, acquittal, or change in case status), please contact us at editorandchief@scammers.com. We will review it and update the article promptly.