U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Barbara Trickle
United States v. Barbara Trickle
Court Docket No.: 23-CR-00015
Court Assigned: This case is assigned to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, 333 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89101 before Judge Christina D. Silva.
Latest Updates:
The sentencing hearing as to defendant Trickle is currently scheduled for March 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM, before the Honorable District Judge Christina D. Silva.
Criminal Charges: On April 28, 2025, Barbara Trickle pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in the District of Nevada.
Trickle and her co-conspirators mailed millions of fraudulent prize notices that led victims to believe they had been individually selected to receive a large cash prize and would receive the prize if they paid a $20 to $50 fee. No victim ever received a large cash prize from Trickle or her co-conspirators. Instead, victims received a “report” describing sweepstakes opportunities or a trinket of little or no value. After victims responded to one fraudulent prize notice mailing, Trickle and her co-conspirators inundated them with many additional fraudulent mailings. Trickle and her co-conspirators stole more than $15 million from victims across the United States.
Trickle was the owner and operator of a printing and mailing business that produced the fraudulent prize notice mailings for the scheme. She also supervised the lasering, printing, and mailing of the notices, and maintained a database that enabled her co-conspirators to track victim responses.
The United States provided restitution to victims of the Defendant’s fraud scheme with funds from the Consumer Data Victim Compensation Fund, which is described in greater detail here. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/marketing-company-agrees-pay-150-million-facilitating-elder-fraud-schemes
If you are a victim of the offense, you may contact the Victim Witness Unit via email at Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by phone at (888) 549-3945 (toll free) to help you exercise your rights.
For more information about the charges in this case, please see below:
Indictment
Press Release – February 2, 2023
Press Release – April 28, 2025
For more information about other related matters, please see below:
Press Release – April 12, 2024
Press Release – September 23, 2025
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a written Victim Impact Statement to be presented to the court ahead of sentencing, you may do so by emailing your statement to Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. Statements can also be mailed to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 409, Washington, DC 20530 or submitted by fax at: (202) 514-3708.
The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that a criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that presumption requires both the court and our office to take certain steps to ensure that justice is served.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: Because charges have been filed in this case in federal court, you also may be entitled to the following rights, according to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, Title 18, United States Code, Section 3771: (1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused; (2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused; (3) The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding; (4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding; (5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case; (6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law; (7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; (8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy; (9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement; and (10) The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 10607(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of the Victims’ Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice. The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged.
Section 3771(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.
If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.
Plea Agreements: Please be aware that many criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement between the Department of Justice and the defendant. You should also know that it is not unusual for a defendant to seek to negotiate a plea agreement shortly before trial is scheduled to begin. Plea agreements can be made at any time and as late as the morning of trial, leaving little or no opportunity to provide notice to you of the date and time of the plea hearing. If the court schedules a plea hearing in this case, we will use our best efforts to notify you of available information as soon as practicable. If you want to inform the prosecutor of your views regarding potential plea agreements, or any other aspect of the case, please contact the prosecutor assigned to this case or call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.