Jamaican national extradited from Panama over alleged lottery scam and laundering conspiracy
US prosecutors in Pennsylvania say Ashanie M. Campbell, 29, was extradited from Panama to face a 29-count indictment over a lottery scam in which callers posed as Publishers Clearing House representatives.
On 30 October 2026 the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ashanie M. Campbell, 29, of Panama City, Panama, and Jamaica, had been extradited from Panama to the United States. A co-defendant, Jeremie L. Cotton, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was arrested in December 2025. The two are charged in a 29-count indictment.
According to prosecutors, the scheme was a lottery scam in which fraudsters posed as representatives of Publishers Clearing House. The indictment alleges that five victims were contacted by phone and email and told they had won cash prizes. They were asked to pay taxes and administrative fees in advance, and were then pressured to pay larger amounts.
Prosecutors allege that Cotton acted as an intermediary in the United States who received money from victims and then sent it on to associates of Campbell, including to an account in Panama. Both defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Campbell is also charged with mail fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of property taken by fraud. An indictment is only an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in court.
The US Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with help from the US Marshals Service. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs assisted with the extradition.
Why it matters to AML professionals
Lottery and prize scams often depend on a person in the victim's country who receives payments and passes them abroad, which makes the scheme look domestic to the victim's bank. Spotting these intermediaries and the repeated payments from older customers is one of the main ways banks can interrupt elder fraud. Cases like this also show how cross-border cooperation can bring overseas organisers to court.
Red flags in this case
- An older customer making repeated payments described as taxes or fees to release a prize
- A personal account receiving transfers from several unrelated people, often older, and quickly sending the money abroad
- Payments that grow in size after the first one, with new reasons given each time
- Onward transfers to accounts in a country with no link to the account holder's stated business
If this landed in your queue
- Contact the paying customer to ask about the purpose of the payments and warn them about prize and lottery scams
- Review the receiving account for inflows from multiple unrelated senders and fast outbound transfers abroad
- Check whether the receiving customer's profile explains the volume and pattern of funds
- Escalate for a suspicious activity report and follow your elder financial exploitation procedures where they apply
Key terms
- Lottery scam
- A fraud in which victims are told they have won a prize and are asked to pay fees or taxes up front to receive it.
- Money mule / intermediary
- A person who receives money from victims and moves it on to others, helping hide where the money goes.
- Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments
- A US criminal charge for agreeing with others to move or hide the proceeds of crime.
Interview angle
An 80-year-old customer has sent five growing payments to a stranger's account, saying they are fees for a prize. What do you do?
Describe contacting the customer, explaining the scam warning signs, reviewing the receiving account for mule activity, documenting the case and escalating for a SAR, and following elder exploitation procedures.
Sources
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