Jamaican National Pleads Guilty in $9 Million Sweepstakes Fraud Targeting Elderly Americans

NEW YORK — Jordan Trought pleaded guilty Monday to his role as a high-ranking member of an international fraud ring that stole more than $9 million from more than 200 elderly victims across the United States through sweepstakes scams.

The scheme, detailed in a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, targeted victims with false claims that they had won large cash prizes in foreign lotteries or sweepstakes. Fraud ring members convinced victims to send payments for supposed taxes, fees, or shipping costs, then used the funds for personal expenses.

Trought, a Jamaican national, held a leadership position that included directing lower-level participants and managing proceeds, according to the Department of Justice announcement.

The fraud ring stole more than $9 million from the victims, who were primarily elderly individuals. The Southern District of New York prosecuted the case as part of a coordinated international sweepstakes scam enforcement initiative.

Trought now faces sentencing, at which the court will determine penalties under federal fraud statutes. The guilty plea establishes the factual record for asset forfeiture proceedings and requires Trought to cooperate with ongoing investigations into other ring members still at large.

Federal prosecutors must next file a sentencing memorandum outlining loss amounts and victim impact, while the probation office prepares a presentence report. Any restitution order will flow directly to identified victims.

This marks the latest conviction secured by the Justice Department in its effort to dismantle transnational fraud networks that prey on older Americans through telephone and mail sweepstakes scams. The department has pursued similar cases against participants based overseas who use U.S. financial systems to extract payments from victims.