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Wednesday, 28 April 2010 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }Clearly unhappy with the Jamaican government's handling of the lottery racket in which scores of Americans have been fleeced, the US government has apparently decided try Jamaican citizens involved in the multi-million dollar racket on their own turf.
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }This was disclosed Wednesday when Audley Haughton and Cleon Andrews, both of Bogues Village in Montego Bay, St. James, accused in the lottery scam, appeared before the Corporate Area Criminal Court on money laundering and fraud charges.
They were arrested and charged in May last year after members of Organised Crime Investigation Division raided premises in Bogues and seized computers and telephone equipment used to contact scores of Americans who are "tricked" into sending money to Jamaica believing they had won the lottery sweepstakes.
Listings with the names of more than 200 Americans were found at the house.
Cases thrown out
In court Wednesday, it was revealed that the US authorities have expressed an interest in Mr. Haughton and Mr. Andrews and will be seeking their extradition to America to stand trial.
As a result, the two men who appeared in court on bail were taken back into custody.
Four other accused reportedly connected to their operation are now on trial in the US.
Over the past several months, the local courts have been forced to release more than 20 persons accused in the lottery scam which has its root in Montego Bay.
Prosecutors have been forced to throw out the cases because the victims in the US and other countries have refused to come to Jamaica to testify.
The US government had previously expressed its displeasure with the handling of the lottery scam by the Jamaican authorities.
The US complained that hundreds of US citizens have been fleeced of their life savings by the fraudsters, primarily based in Montego Bay.
Mr. Haughton and Mr. Andrews are to return to court on June 30.
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }This was disclosed Wednesday when Audley Haughton and Cleon Andrews, both of Bogues Village in Montego Bay, St. James, accused in the lottery scam, appeared before the Corporate Area Criminal Court on money laundering and fraud charges.
They were arrested and charged in May last year after members of Organised Crime Investigation Division raided premises in Bogues and seized computers and telephone equipment used to contact scores of Americans who are "tricked" into sending money to Jamaica believing they had won the lottery sweepstakes.
Listings with the names of more than 200 Americans were found at the house.
Cases thrown out
In court Wednesday, it was revealed that the US authorities have expressed an interest in Mr. Haughton and Mr. Andrews and will be seeking their extradition to America to stand trial.
As a result, the two men who appeared in court on bail were taken back into custody.
Four other accused reportedly connected to their operation are now on trial in the US.
Over the past several months, the local courts have been forced to release more than 20 persons accused in the lottery scam which has its root in Montego Bay.
Prosecutors have been forced to throw out the cases because the victims in the US and other countries have refused to come to Jamaica to testify.
The US government had previously expressed its displeasure with the handling of the lottery scam by the Jamaican authorities.
The US complained that hundreds of US citizens have been fleeced of their life savings by the fraudsters, primarily based in Montego Bay.
Mr. Haughton and Mr. Andrews are to return to court on June 30.
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