KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) A former judge in Jamaica and three of her employees were arrested by anti-corruption agents on suspicion of involvement in the Caribbean island's lucrative lottery scam, police said Tuesday.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force said anti-corruption officers searched the woman's office in the northern Jamaican parish of St. James and found several documents called "lead lists" that have personal information about lottery scam victims. They also seized a semi-automatic pistol and eight bullets.
The former resident magistrate is now working as a lawyer. Police did not disclose her identity or any other details about the woman or her three employees.
For years, Jamaican fraudsters have conned mostly elderly Americans out of their retirement savings by promising that they've won millions in an international lottery but need to first wire a payment to cover taxes.
Once a victim stops sending money, threats often start and demands for more cash becomes relentless. Swindlers often instruct elderly victims not to tell bank tellers or relatives the reasons for their withdrawals.
