SIOUX FALLS, SD – Dwayne Anderson, 35, of Hannover, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota in connection with a long-running scheme to defraud a California woman.
Anderson was arrested by Jamaican authorities on July 11, 2024, based on a U.S. indictment and extradited to the United States in August 2024. He has remained incarcerated since his arrest.
According to court documents, Anderson admitted that from 2010 to September 2017, he posed under false names and repeatedly contacted the victim by phone, text, and email, claiming she had won millions in a sweepstakes. He persuaded her to send more than $181,000 in purported fees and taxes, promising that her winnings would be released after payment. The victim never received any money.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with Jamaican authorities to secure Anderson’s extradition. The case is being prosecuted by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.
Authorities urged victims of financial fraud, particularly older Americans, to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 for assistance and reporting.
