A man from Landover Hills, Maryland, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to a lottery fraud scheme. Wayne Henry, 36, admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with officials from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland, the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General (Treasury OIG), and the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Court documents state that between October 2020 and February 2024, Henry worked with others to use mail services to collect money from victims across the United States through a lottery fraud operation. Many of those affected were elderly individuals. The scheme also involved using someone else’s personal information to pay for postage for fraudulent lottery solicitations sent to another victim.
In these types of schemes, perpetrators convince victims they have won a large cash prize through a lottery or sweepstakes but require them to pay taxes or fees upfront before receiving their winnings. The victims never receive any prizes and lose the money paid in advance.
Henry could face up to 22 years in federal prison, which includes a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft that must be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
Other individuals involved include Nickoy Campbell, 30, and Tavoy Farquharson, 34—both Jamaican nationals—and Wayne’s brother Dwayne Henry, 34. All three previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing for Campbell and Dwayne Henry is scheduled for March 2; Farquharson will be sentenced on March 23.
Officials emphasized the importance of consumer reports about fraud attempts in helping law enforcement investigate crimes targeting older adults. Those aged 60 or older who have experienced financial fraud can seek assistance by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This hotline provides personalized support in English, Spanish, and other languages during weekday business hours. More information about elder justice initiatives is available at www.elderjustice.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. Victims are also encouraged to file complaints online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Kelly O. Hayes thanked all agencies involved in investigating this case and acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Motsay for prosecuting it.
Further details about reporting fraud can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
