4 indicted in Pittsburgh for $4.5 million lottery scam

Four more people are facing charges out of western Pennsylvania as part of an investigation into a multi-million-dollar lottery scam that prosecutors said targeted elderly victims across the country. 

Yonel Burnett of Jamaica, Omar McKenzie of Florida, Shemeca Shields of Connecticut and Nicole Lamont of Massachusetts were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced this week. The charges come after seven other people were indicted in 2023. 

Federal prosecutors said the four were part of a scheme that stole more than $4.5 million from elderly and vulnerable victims in the Pittsburgh area as well as across the country. 

Prosecutors said Burnett and others would call the victims and tell them that they had won a sweepstakes, but before they could claim the prizes, they needed to pay certain taxes and fees. The claims were often reinforced with forged documents, some of which prosecutors said had the seals of government agencies. 

The scammers then told the victims to send money to other people, sometimes giving it to previous victims who were "unwittingly fooled" into moving money for the alleged fraudsters, the Department of Justice said. 

After the money was laundered through a network of bank accounts and money mules, prosecutors said members of the conspiracy withdrew it in Jamaica. 

Burnett is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. McKenzie, Shields and Lamont are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. All four have been arrested.