Sweepstakes Scam Leader Pleads Guilty in $9M Elderly Fraud

“Trought and his co-conspirators allegedly exploited trust, age, and hope for profit, including by taking control of victims’ bank accounts and routing stolen money to Jamaica,” US Attorney Jay Clayton said.

Trought faces up to 30 years in prison. He has agreed to pay $6,166,227 in restitution and the same amount in forfeiture. The overall operation ran from 2015 to 2025, victimizing seniors nationwide.

The ring's longevity shows how persistent these schemes can be. It used a simple formula: tell victims they have won, demand a fee to release the prize, then keep asking for more. The victims, many of them seniors, often paid repeatedly in hopes of recovering what they had already sent.

Prosecutors said the case is part of a broader effort to pursue cross-border fraudsters who prey on vulnerable Americans. They also said the guilty plea brings a measure of closure for the victims, though many have not recovered their losses. The restitution order, while substantial, covers only a portion of the total losses, which prosecutors put at more than $9 million.

The victims were spread across the United States, prosecutors said. Trought's plea is the latest step in a case that began with his arrest in August 2025. The forfeiture amount matches the restitution total, meaning he must surrender assets worth $6,166,227.