Woman Sentenced to 24 Months for Laundering Funds from Lottery Fraud Scheme Targeting the Elderly

TUCSON, Ariz. – Shanelle Bailey, 23, a Jamaican-born women living in Provo, Utah, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 24 months in prison. Bailey previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. 

Bailey participated in a scheme where Jamaican-based scammers called elderly victims in the United States, claiming the victims had won a lottery. To receive their winnings, the victims were told they must first pay money for taxes and fees. Bailey’s role in this scheme was to launder the fraudulent proceeds for fellow co-conspirators in Jamaica. The loss suffered by the victims exceeded $600,000.

As part of her sentence, Bailey will also be required to pay restitution in the amount of $80,850 to the victims in the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages the public to be wary of similar scams and to verify with law enforcement and family members before sending money after a phone solicitation.

The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Trade Commission, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:  CR-19-01275-TUC-RM(LAB)
RELEASE NUMBER:  2021-030_Bailey

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ 
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.