Two Maryland brothers have been indicted by a federal grand jury after they defrauded victims out of $3.5 million over three years in a lottery scheme. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Fraud for three years
Two Maryland brothers have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their involvement in a lottery scam that tricked victims into believing they had won the lottery.
Dwayne Henry, 32, and Wayne Henry, 34, both of Landover Hills, Maryland, had been running the scheme for three years. During that period, they defrauded victims of more than $3.5 million.
Charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud
The two men were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. If convicted, the couple faces 20 years in federal prison.
What happened?
The lottery scheme was carried out between October 2020 and December 2023. The Henry brothers and co-conspirators targeted victims via mail and phone, convincing them they had won millions of dollars in the lottery.
To get their winnings, victims had to make a down payment through gift cards, bank transfers, or cash. The scam worked, with many people failing to heed the blaring alarm bells.
He made them think they had won $5.5 million in the lottery
Using a fake name – Anthony Henry – and a false address, the pair sent parcels and suitcases, allegedly containing the victims’ winnings. In one case, the victim, JB, was made to believe he had won $5.5 million in the lottery. JP was sent a metal briefcase, allegedly containing the winnings, but to open the locked briefcase, JP had to submit “required taxes and duties” to obtain the code.
The victim was told that trying to open the bag before receiving the code would result in the ink bottle exploding and destroying the money inside.
You never received the winnings
Over a period of three years, the Henry brothers allegedly tracked packages sent to and from the victims. Wayne reportedly received several packages containing the victims’ money for their winnings, each addressed to Anthony Henry.
Needing to put the money somewhere, Wayne opened two bank accounts to receive peer-to-peer transfers and cash deposits. The brothers are believed to have sent money to each other using a digital payment network.
Believing themselves to be unstoppable, the pair went to great lengths to trick their victims.
The packages that the victim believed contained checks worth up to $150 million
In another fraud case, the duo sent packages that the victim believed contained checks worth up to $150 million. To obtain the money, the victim, J.S., was instructed in the note to contact the clerk, with the Henrys asking the person to call them at a phone number ending in 9391. The instructions were to “call….” . . About paying you $150 million.”
Needless to say, the victim received nothing.
