FBI Arrest Jamaican Nationals In Lottery Scam in Baldwin County

FOLEY, Ala.
By Rick McCann

February 8, 2025

An FBI investigation has led to the arrest of four men from Jamaica accused of stealing more than $200,000 from victims across the country—including right here on the Gulf Coast.

According to investigators, the scam tricked victims into believing they had won a lottery, but before they could claim their winnings, the victims were told they had to pay “taxes.”

Multiple law enforcement agencies began investigating the scam and once it was identified as involving multiple states, it became a federal case, and the FBI took over the investigation.

On February 7, 2025, the FBI arrested Peter Walcott, Malik Chambers, Romario Nembhard and Jermaine Smith in Foley.

Investigators said the victims shipped the money through FedEx, but the company flagged and intercepted thousands of dollars in cash and checks. That money was then returned to dozens of victims with a warning notice.

Before the FBI even began investigating around 90 packages were sent to the suspects’ houses in Baldwin County, often using fake names.

Parker Still, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI, says the suspects specifically targeted elderly victims.

“The subjects operated a Publisher’s Clearing House scheme, and in the course of doing that, they defrauded one of our most vulnerable groups—our elderly victims,” Still said. “In particular, these victims were defrauded from Florida all the way to California. Really, we saw this fraud scheme across the country.”

Still said lottery scams like this are becoming more common, and authorities are working to stop them before more people become victims.

Shipments were sent to addresses in Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The affidavit states portions of the stolen cash were withdrawn at ATMS in and around Westmoreland, Jamaica. The affidavit states more than $180,000 has been intercepted and recovered from various addresses linked to the suspects, most of which has been returned to the victims.

The FBI estimates senior citizens lose more than $3 billion to scams every year.

The four suspects are now facing federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.

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