Scam allegedly defrauded victims of more than $9.5 million
BALTIMORE — An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General and the Prince George’s County Police Department resulted in a federal charge against a Jamaican national for his part in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with a lottery scheme.
Tavoy Farquharson, 32, of Jamaica, made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Sept. 18 on a criminal complaint filed in the District of Maryland.
“Tavoy Farquharson, along with his co-conspirators, are charged with orchestrating an intricate fraud scheme that defrauded victims of millions,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “If convicted, Farquharson stands to serve a significant prison sentence. This case underscores the importance of strong law enforcement collaborations. HSI Baltimore prides itself on maintaining close partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies, many of which played a key role in this investigation.”
According to the investigation, from at least March 2023 through July 2023, Farquharson and his co-conspirators contacted their victims by mail or over the phone and convinced them that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery or sweepstakes but were required to send payment in advance for taxes and other fees before they could receive their winnings.
The investigation further alleges that Farquharson and his co-conspirators caused their victims to send payments for the purported taxes and other fees through wire transfer, by gift card, by sending cash or checks through the U.S. mail, by other interstate commercial carrier, and by other payment methods. According to the investigation, the victims lost more than $9.5 million to the lottery scheme.
Wayne and Dwayne Henry of Landover Hills and Jamaican national Nickoy Campbell were charged previously with conspiracy to commit mail fraud as part of the same lottery scheme.
If convicted, Farquharson faces 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud conspiracy.
HSI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General and the Prince George’s County Police Department conducted this investigation with significant assistance from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Police, the Anne Arundel County Police, the New York Police Department and the Suffolk County Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
Learn more about HSI Baltimore’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSIBaltimore.