Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter

One of three Jamaicans residing in the United States, accused of scamming the elderly via telephone, was sentenced to prison for her involvement in the scheme, THE STAR has learnt.

Twenty-four-year old Shanice Ethridge, of Broward County, Florida, was last Friday sentenced to five years and three months in prison. She was also ordered to repay US$132,000 (approximately J$15.2 million) in restitution, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

According to investigators, Ethridge worked with a Jamaican-based swindler who contacted victims in the US and erroneously told them they won money in a sweepstakes or lottery.

The victims, mostly elderly people, were told they had to send money to Ethridge to pay bogus fees before they could collect winnings.

Ethridge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, with an enhanced penalty for targeting the elderly in October 2014.

Also charged in the scheme are Jamaican nationals Mikhail Gorbachev George Williams, 25, also of a Broward County, Florida, address and Fabian Winston Parkinson, 33, of Miami Dade, Florida.

The three would reportedly call elderly victims, informing them that they had won a lottery or sweepstakes. It is believed that the trio would tell the victims that in order to claim their winnings, they first had to pay taxes, duties or fees.

The 51-year-old businessman and justice of the peace (JP) who were last week arrested for their alleged involvement in forgery were hauled before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

Paul Crawford has been charged with uttering forged documents, forgery, obtaining passport by false means, attempting to obtain passport by false means, possession of and dealing in ganja. Pauline Perez, in her capacity as a (JP) for St Andrew, has been charged for making a false statement.

The Crown alleges that on February 13 about 3:15 p.m., the businessman was arrested after officials from the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) alerted police that Crawford was making an application for a passport under an assumed name.

He was taken to his home where other documents were found in the name. Ganja weighing two pounds was also found. Perez was subsequently arrested. They were remanded until March 2.