How law student Teresa Wilson and friends got busted
The 89-year-old Virginian woman was so excited after being told that she had won US$3.5 million in the Mega Millions Sweepstakes that she was only too happy to fork out some US$282,600 in order to collect her winning.
However, the $3.5 million never came. She had fallen victim to the lotto scam out of Jamaica that has bilked millions in US currency from elderly residents from the United States.
“From October 31, 2014, through November 25, 2014, the victim complied with the directions from the Mega Millions Sweepstakes callers and mailed $282,600 in cash to various locations in Florida and Georgia,” the prosecution said, following the arrests in April of 25-year-old Jamaican Yanique Chantel Coach — who resides in Orlando — and Dwayne Breary, a 31-year-old of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The callers reportedly told the victim that her name had been entered into the lottery through a magazine subscription, but that she needed to pay fees and taxes before she could receive her winnings.
One of the two individuals who called the elderly woman in the conspiracy, had claimed to be an attorney associated with the Mega Millions Sweepstakes, according to the indictment against Coach, Breary and Jamaican law student Teresa Wilson.
The elderly victim concealed the money in magazines and cereal boxes before sending it, according to prosecution.
But the victim’s “large withdrawals” didn’t go unnoticed by family members.
According to a release from US prosecutor following the arrest of Coach and Breary, the victim’s family contacted the FBI after learning of the sums she had withdrawn from her account.
“On March 6, 2015, the victim was instructed by the callers to send $150,000 to an apartment in Orlando. On March 19, 2015, FBI agents conducted a controlled delivery of a UPS package, appearing to be from the victim, to the apartment,” the press release stated.
“Agents had determined the apartment belonged to Coach. During surveillance, Breary signed for the package, using an alias, and accepted it. Agents then executed a search warrant and recovered the package from Coach’s bedroom,” the release said.
Further investigation revealed that Coach and Breary had accepted the previously sent packages by signing a fake name, according to the prosecution.
US prosecution said that an individual from Jamaica then travelled to Florida to retrieve the cash.
“Coach and Breary were paid for their part in the scheme by that individual, who then returned to Jamaica with the victim’s money,” said the press release that was issued before Wilson’s arrest in June.
A copy of the indictment outlining Wilson’s alleged role in the conspiracy was sent to Loop News by the US Department of Justice.
The document states: “It was further a part of the conspiracy that Teresa Wilson and another co-conspirator would and did travel from Jamaica to the United States to obtain the packages.”
According to the document, law enforcement officials obtained telephone messages sent by Wilson to Coach on March 19, 2015, instructing, “Check the stacks tho,” in reference to money.
A few days later, on March 22, 2015, Wilson reportedly sent a message via telephone, threatening Coach. The message reportedly stated in part, “People belly go bang and U can’t step out fi sort out business and save u self… Weh U priorities.”
Coach, Breary and Wilson have been charged for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
PHOTO: Yanique Chantel Coach (left) and law student Teresa Wilson in her mugshot after her arrest.
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