25-year-old convicted in Jamaican lottery scam

Hochhalter told jurors that the subsequent investigation identified more than 70 people — mostly older and vulnerable citizens — who were scammed out of more than $5.2 million. About a dozen victims testified during the trial by video and in person.

The victims “came from all walks of life and from across the country” and ranged from a woman who owned three successful businesses to a World War II fighter pilot, Hochhalter said, adding that some of the victims “as little as weeks ago were still sending money.”

Stock said in his closing arguments that the case wasn’t about sympathy, but about evidence.

Stock said that so many people involved in the scheme used fake names and IDs that it’s difficult to believe most of the witnesses, one of whom he described as a “heroin addict and thief.” Investigators did not look into whether his client was himself a victim of identity theft, Stock added, pointing to an incident in which Williams’ email was hacked.

Hochhalter told jurors that investigators reviewed more than 500,000 documents, including 50,000 emails — many of which linked the scam to Williams.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *