Brothers indicted for lottery scheme following HSI Baltimore investigation
The scheme defrauded Marylanders out of more than $3.5 million
BALTIMORE — An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington division, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General in Philadelphia resulted in a superseding indictment out of the US. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland charging two brothers with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Dwayne Henry, 32, and Wayne Henry, 34, both of Landover Hills, allegedly engaged in a lottery scheme that tricked victims into believing they won a lottery or sweepstakes and were required to send advance payment for taxes and other fees before they were entitled to receive their winnings.
“The Henry brothers’ crimes are far from victimless,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris. “They contrived and executed an intricate scheme to steal hard-earned money from honest and trusting Americans. HSI Baltimore will continue to investigate such criminal activity in order to provide safer neighborhoods for Maryland residents.”
According to the investigation, from October 2020 until December 2023, the Henry brothers and their co-conspirators contacted victims by mail and over the phone and convinced them that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery or sweepstakes but were required to send payment in advance for taxes and other fees before they could receive their winnings.
The conspirators allegedly caused the victims to send payments for the purported taxes and other fees through wire transfer, cash, gift card or other payment methods.
The investigation detailed that the Henry brothers and their co-conspirators used a false address and fictitious name to send lottery solicitations, as well as packages and suitcases that purportedly contained the victims’ winnings, to victims throughout the United States.
The conspirators allegedly tracked the packages sent to and from the victims. Wayne Henry received numerous packages that contained victim funds addressed to “Anthony Henry.”
The indictment alleges that Wayne Henry opened two bank accounts to receive money from the scheme, including in cash deposits and peer-to-peer transfers and that the brothers used to send numerous payments to each other. Most of the ATM cash withdrawals from one of the bank accounts also allegedly occurred outside the United States.
The investigation alleged that the conspirators sent and caused packages to be sent that contained checks made payable to one victim in the amount of $150 million. The package also contained cellphones and typewritten notes, including a note requesting that the victim contact the writer at a telephone number ending in 9391 “to get in touch…about paying you the 150 million dollars.”
The investigation further illustrated that in early 2023, the brothers and other conspirators caused another victim to believe that they had won $5.5 million in the lottery. As detailed in the indictment, the victim received a metal briefcase purportedly containing partial payment of the lottery winnings and was told that they would receive a code to unlock the briefcase after they sent the required taxes and fees. The victim was also allegedly told that if they opened the briefcase without receiving the code, the money would be destroyed by an exploding ink pack inside the briefcase.
The investigation revealed that because of the scheme, victims sent more than $3.5 million to the Henry brothers and other conspirators based on false pretenses, representations and promises involving false lottery or sweepstakes winnings.
If convicted, the Henry brothers each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud conspiracy. An initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute such schemes. Anyone with information regarding fraud schemes is encouraged to call the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP. The HSI Tip Line is staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
This investigation was conducted by HSI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Washington, the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General in Philadelphia with significant assistance from the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
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