A 29-year-old woman who splits her time between Florida and Jamaica has been extradited to the United States to face charges in Graves County, Kentucky, accused of helping run a scam that convinced local victims they had won a $250 million Mega Millions jackpot. U.S. Marshals brought Jenel Chrissancia Rowe back into the country, transferring custody from federal marshals to Tennessee officials at Nashville International Airport before she faces extradition proceedings to Kentucky, where she will be prosecuted.
According to WPSD Local 6, an arrest warrant had already been obtained for Rowe before her extradition, and prosecutors are seeking charges of theft by deception and engaging in organized crime. Investigators say Rowe is linked to six co-conspirators in the scheme, and three other suspects are currently being held in area jails while awaiting court proceedings. Additional suspects have been identified in both Florida and Jamaica, according to the outlet's report.
How the Scam Unfolded in Graves County
The Graves County Sheriff's Office says it officially opened its investigation on November 21, 2025, after a local couple reported depositing $83,000 over a 90-day period into multiple bank accounts. The victims had received fraudulent mailers claiming they had won the massive jackpot, according to a Facebook post from the Graves County Sheriff's Office. The couple spoke with three distinct individuals during the scheme before all communication abruptly ceased once the cash deposits were completed. Victims were instructed to deposit money into Rowe's account to cover supposed IRS fees, per the sheriff's office account, and the scam ultimately caused over $80,000 in losses to the Graves County victims.
The multi-state investigation was led by Graves County Sheriff's Office Detective Tony Cornwell, working alongside Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations agents based in Paducah, Kentucky, and Orlando, Florida, along with the Orlando Police Department. That cooperation had already produced results before Rowe's extradition. In January, federal agents arrested 38-year-old Jamaican citizen Deroney A. Facey in Orlando after he was indicted by a Graves County grand jury on four felony charges, including engaging in organized crime and securities fraud, in connection with the same $83,000 scam. Facey reportedly admitted involvement during questioning after bank records and surveillance footage linked him to withdrawals of victim funds.
Potential Prison Time Under Kentucky Law
The charges prosecutors are pursuing against Rowe include offenses under state law. One is engaging in organized crime under Kentucky Revised Statute 506.120 (Justia Law). Separately, theft by deception involving $10,000 or more is a Class C felony in Kentucky, per the Graves County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
This is not the first time the sheriff's office has warned residents about scammers targeting older adults in the area. In May 2025, the department issued an urgent public alert after two elderly widows in Graves County lost a combined $320,000 of their life savings to financial scammers in a single week, according to the same Facebook account. The sheriff's office has also issued warnings about scams targeting older adults.
A Nationwide Surge in Fraud Targeting Seniors
The Graves County case fits a much larger national pattern. Federal Trade Commission reporting cited by Forbes shows fraud losses reported by Americans aged 60 and older quadrupled from 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2024.
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Rowe's case now moves through extradition proceedings before she is transferred to the Graves County Sheriff's Office to face prosecution. The investigation remains ongoing, with three co-conspirators already in custody in area jails and additional suspects identified in Florida and Jamaica.
