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6 Indicted For Alleged Lottery Scam That Targeted The Elderly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Six people have been indicted for allegedly running a "Jamaican lottery" scam between January 2012 and March 2015.

Authorities say the six were charged with conspiring to commit mail, bank and wire fraud in a scheme that stole more than $200,000, mostly from elderly victims with diminished mental capacity.

Thirty-four-year-old Maurice Simmonds, a/k/a "Damion Dash," is the alleged leader of the organization. He and some of the other members are also charged with wire fraud and travel fraud specifically for the defrauding of an elderly resident in Drexel Hill.

Officials say the victims were told they won the "Jamaican lottery" but in order to claim their prize, they had to pay tens of thousands of dollars for certain "fees."

The victims were reportedly coerced into giving the conspirators cash, checks and property but never received any winnings.

Aside from Simmonds, Devon A. Grant, a/k/a "The Bachelor," 55; Majid Morris, 34; Ashley Hicks-Williams, 29; Melissa Duncan, 29; and Warren Chevannes, a/k/a "Dave," 37; were also charged in connection to the scam.

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