A Jamaican citizen has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud connected to a lottery scam that defrauded an elderly woman from Vancouver, Washington of more than $550,000. The announcement was made by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was arrested in Jamaica on August 21, 2025, and brought to the Western District of Washington for arraignment on October 23, 2025. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on May 14, 2026.
Court records state that Carty first contacted the 73-year-old victim in 2020 while pretending to be an employee of Publisher’s Clearinghouse. He falsely told her she had won $22 million and a car but needed to pay taxes and fees to claim the prize. He instructed her not to tell anyone about the winnings and claimed that the FBI was monitoring their calls.
Between August 2020 and February 2024, Carty convinced the victim to send over $550,000 through various money couriers in the United States who then forwarded the funds to him in Jamaica. His requests for cash began with small amounts but increased over time; he asked her to withdraw money from her accounts and send it via FedEx. When he claimed money was lost or stolen, he demanded more funds and urged her to borrow against or sell her home for additional payments.
Carty repeatedly contacted the victim using multiple phone numbers and texting services—reaching out thousands of times during the course of his scheme. When she attempted to end communication with him, he tried alternative methods such as sending tow trucks and pizza deliveries or contacting her landlord for welfare checks.
He was indicted in November 2024 and agreed to extradition following his arrest in Jamaica.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Watts Staniar and David T. Martin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Jamaican authorities on Carty’s arrest and extradition.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment; prosecutors have agreed not to recommend more than a 41-month sentence while the defense may propose any sentence allowed by law. Judge Cartwright is not bound by these recommendations.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica provides information about lottery scams originating from that country at this page: https://jm.usembassy.gov/lottery-scams/. According to officials: “You never should pay to receive a prize and any request for advance fees is a scam.”
