Queens man gets 3 years in prison for fake prize notice scam that targeted elderly victims
A Queens man will spend three years behind bars for his role in a bogus sweepstakes fraud, which tricked elderly victims into paying cash in exchange for a large cash prize they never got.
Scott Gammon, 48, of Howard Beach, took part in the scam between from 2014 to 2019. In addition to his prison sentence, he must also forfeit nearly $140,000, Judge Joan M. Azrack ruled in Central Islip Federal Court Thursday.
Two others, Christopher King, 37, of Oceanside, Nassau County and Natasha Khan, 39, of Elmont, Nassau County, have also pleaded guilty in the scheme and await sentencing.
Gammon and his cohorts mailed out thousands of prize notices, promising a big cash reward — provided the “winner” pay a fee first, prosecutors said.
The victims taken in by the notice sent in their fee, but got no prize in return.
“Financially exploiting the elderly and other victims through fraudulent prize schemes is a form of abuse and deserving of punishment as today’s sentence demonstrates,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said. “A term in prison should deter others from preying on the vulnerable.”
In a sentencing submission filed in December, Gammon’s lawyer described him as a kind-hearted family man lured by the prospect of fast cash, and insisted he only played a “minor role” in the scam.
“While Scott clearly admits that he conspired with others to send prize notices which he knew were false to people around the country in order to mislead them to pay fees for nothing, his own role was limited,” his lawyer, Peter Tomao, wrote. “He opened incoming mail and made entries into the computer system. He also opened postal boxes to receive the fees. He did not design the mailings or maintain the financial records.”
Tomao added, “He had no role in managing the enterprise. He performed his duties and little more. Significantly, he quit the enterprise before law enforcement intervened.”
