NEWARK - By now, you probably know endless variations of the Jamaica Scam - a call notifying you of big winnings in a lottery or sweepstakes, followed by increasingly-threatening demands for payments of fees. Now, a Jamaican national is going to prison for 63 months for his versions.

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Ricardo Reid, 32, was sentenced for his guilty plea to mail and wire fraud conspiracy, according to the office of Acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick. He also owes $577,703.78 in restitution and faces three years of parole supervision when he's released..

Reid admitted preying on elderly victims form 2011 to 2016. According to information filed in the case, he bought mailing lists containing contract information for aged residents throughout the US, and conned as many as possible into thinking that they won lotteries or sweepstakes.

Then he touched them up for fees and taxes, telling his marks that he was with the Internal Revenue Service, or a lottery official, a banker, or other authoritative guises.

Investigators said that he employed aliases including Robert Gates, Mr. Bogozhian, and Damien Boswel, and masked his originating telephone number through Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and call-fowarding mechanisms.

If you, or someone you know, has been victimized, call U.S. Postal Inspectors in Newark, 973-693-5400.

Collaborating with postal inspectors in the probe were special agents of US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Secuity Investigations (HSI).

Assistant US Attorney Lorraine S. Gerson conducted the government's case. Reid was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender K. Anthony Thomas.

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