NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A 35-year-old man pled guilty Wednesday in connection with a conspiracy charge stemming from a lottery scam.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stieve Fernandez, along with Minique Morris and Horace Crooks, defrauded the elderly man between 2015 to 2018. Fernandez spoke to the man over the phone using pseudonyms like "Damian Jackson," Jesse Jackson," and "Huckleberry Finn."
Morris and Crooks also pled guilty to the same charge and are awaiting sentencing.
Fernadez told the man he had won a lottery or sweepstakes and had to pay fees to cover taxes, insurance, handling and other charges. He told the victim to pay the fees in numerous ways like mailing checks and money orders to Morris in Canada and Crooks in Florida.
The United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut office said Fernadez told Morris and Crooks how to transfer or deliver the money to him in Argentina or Jamicam, where he lives.
The elderly man was swindled out of $1,196,207 due to the scheme.
All three suspects were indicted in 2018 and Fernandez was arrested in Jamaica on May 9, 2019. He was extradited back to the United States.