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Man Helps Bust Lottery Scam; Four Suspects Arrested

Posted: 3:54 pm EDT April 27, 2005

Four people are in custody, accused of faking a lottery win to defraud the elderly. Beyond a few tears and complaints of discomfort, the four suspects in the Latin lotto ring didn't have much to say as they were escorted to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say their 'game' was to entice elderly Hispanic residents with a lotto ticket they claimed was a winner. One suspect would then say she couldn't cash it because she was 'illegal.' Investigators say it was a good act.

"They had a cell phone yesterday and the person, the woman on the other end, identified herself as a member of the Lotto Commission and said it was a winning lottery ticket," explained Agent John McMahon.

Their intended victim turned the table when he felt something was wrong. That's when the suspects luck ran out.

"The lady offered me money. She said, 'I'll give you money, don't worry about that,'" said would-be victim Ordener Jimenez.

Jimenez told the suspects to meet him at Banco Popular on Oakridge Road. He said he'd have the $30,000 in good-faith money the suspects requested to cash-in the 'winning' lottery ticket. Undercover deputies were waiting.

"I told her we are going to be at the bank at 10 o'clock," said Jimenez.

Investigators say, when they arrested the suspects, they had hundreds of dollars on them, leading them to believe there might be other victims of the Latin lottery scam.

"Many times, the elderly people are too ashamed to admit they've been taken advantage of and literally lost their life savings," commented McMahon.

But investigators say, after Wednesday's bust, it's the lotto suspects who are the losers.

All four suspects were carrying Venezuelan IDs when they were arrested. Investigators haven't determined where they're actually from. It's likely they'll be held without bond, because they're considered a flight risk.

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