Jamaican citizen indicted for stealing $800,000 from Vancouver, Washington victim in lottery scam

Seattle – A Jamaican citizen who was extradited to Western Washington was ordered detained pending trial on four counts of wire fraud and four counts of mail fraud for his lottery scheme that cost an elderly victim more than $800,000, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was arrested in Jamaica on August 21, 2025, and arrived in the Western District of Washington for arraignment on October 23, 2025. Late Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Magistrate Judge David W. Christal ordered Carty detained pending trial scheduled for December 22, 2025.

According to records filed in the case, Carty first contacted the 73-year-old victim in 2020. Between August 2020 and February 2024, he convinced the victim to send him $800,000 as taxes, fees and other costs to claim a $22 million prize from Publishers Clearing House. Carty allegedly convinced the victim that the FBI was recording the call and told her she was not to tell anyone about the big win.

Carty’s requests for cash started small and grew over time. He had the victim remove small amounts of cash from her accounts and send them to a U.S. location via FedEx. Carty told the victim the money was lost or stolen and demanded more. Carty allegedly told the victim to borrow against her home so she could send more money. Carty allegedly convinced the victim to sell her home to cover additional “costs and fees” to claim her prize.  In all, Carty allegedly stole more than $800,000 from the victim by having her mail the money to various couriers in the U.S.

Carty was relentless in contacting the victim using various phone numbers and texting programs. When she tried to cut off contact, he tried sending tow trucks, and pizza deliveries, and asked her landlord for a welfare check to try to get back in touch with the victim.

Carty was indicted in November 2024. Following his August 2025 arrest in Jamaica, Carty consented to extradition to the United States.

The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has a page devoted to lottery scams based in that country. Find it here. The bottom line: You never should pay to receive a prize and any request for advance fees is a scam.

Wire fraud and mail fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Staniar and David Martin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Carty.