A Jamaican national known by the street name “Powa” was sentenced to six years in federal prison this week for running a nationwide lottery fraud scheme that drained more than $3.4 million from dozens of victims, including an elderly man in western Michigan. Sefton Olivair Stewart, 41, was ordered to serve 72 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and he will be deported once his sentence is complete.
Stewart was extradited from Jamaica to face charges in Grand Rapids, where he admitted his role in a scheme that ran from October 2019 through September 2024, according to WWMT. Prosecutors say Stewart and his co-conspirators falsely told victims across the country that they had won massive multistate lottery prizes — including cash and luxury vehicles — then convinced them to wire money to cover supposed taxes and fees before they could collect. As CBS Detroit reported, the fraudsters backed up those false promises with fake bank statements and counterfeit U.S. government documents designed to make the scam look legitimate.
How the Scheme Targeted Victims
Accounts of exactly how many people lost money differ slightly. WWMT reported the scheme defrauded 28 victims of $3.4 million, while a separate report citing the U.S. Attorney's office put the number at more than 25 victims who collectively lost over $3.4 million. Either way, one of those victims was an elderly man living in western Michigan, according to Stewart's plea agreement as reported by CBS Detroit. Stewart's plea agreement also acknowledged that the lottery winnings described to victims were entirely untrue.
Stewart pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge in July 2026, months before his sentencing this week. He is not the only person to face consequences tied to the operation — the same report from the station notes that a co-conspirator, 37-year-old Danielle Diarbakerly, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to launder money obtained through the fraud and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.
Officials Vow Continued Crackdown
Jeremy Pierczynski said fraudsters who prey on victims with false promises will be held accountable regardless of where they operate, according to CBS Detroit's reporting on the case. Once Stewart finishes his federal sentence, he will be removed from the United States, officials said.
Lottery and sweepstakes scams remain a significant threat to older Americans nationwide. In 2021, people age 80 and over reported losing $47 million to prize, sweepstakes and lottery scams — more than any other fraud category for that age group — according to the Federal Trade Commission. Similar cases have surfaced elsewhere in recent months: in Washington state, the FBI says a Jamaican citizen extradited to face trial was ordered detained on wire and mail fraud charges after allegedly costing an elderly Vancouver, Washington, victim more than $800,000. And in August, MLive reported that 29-year-old Jenel Chrissancia Rowe was extradited to the U.S. in connection with an alleged scam that promised victims a $250 million lottery prize and demanded payment for supposed IRS fees, with police estimating losses at $80,000; Rowe was identified as one of six alleged co-conspirators in that case.
