Florida Man Charged In Jamaica-Based Lottery Scheme
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — A Florida man is under arrest, accused of participating in a lottery scam based in Jamaica.
Court documents said authorities confronted Rowan George Hemmings in 2013 about a package addressed to him by a victim of the scheme.
Victims in the U.S. were told they won a lottery, but they needed to mail several thousand dollars to collect their winnings. According to court documents, middlemen wired the money to Jamaica. The Federal Trade Commission reports $39 million dollars lost to such scams in 2013.
Authorities say Hemmings agreed to stop receiving the victims' money. But last month, authorities said they identified a package addressed to Hemmings from another victim.
Hemmings, of Homestead, was arrested this week on mail fraud charges. A man answering Hemmings' phone Friday said Hemmings was in custody. His arraignment is Feb. 18th.
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