A Jamaican man extradited to Michigan has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for his role in a nationwide fake-prize scheme that defrauded 28 victims of $3.4 million. Sefton Olivair Stewart, 41, of Montego Bay, Jamaica, also known as 'Powa,' was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Grand Rapids, U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey announced on October 16. Stewart will be removed from the United States after he serves his prison sentence.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice — U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan
Stewart was extradited from Jamaica to Grand Rapids by the U.S. Marshals Service in July 2026 and pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
How the fake lottery scheme worked
Between October 2019 and September 2024, Stewart, co-conspirator Danielle Diarbakerly and others falsely told victims they had won large prizes — cash and luxury vehicles — in a multistate lottery, prosecutors said. To claim the supposed prizes, victims were told they first had to pay taxes and fees. None of it was true, and the conspirators used fake bank and U.S. government documents to convince victims. At least one victim lives in West Michigan, and a large portion of the money was ultimately sent to Jamaica, where Stewart resided and a substantial part of the scheme was run, according to the IRS Criminal Investigation summary of his guilty plea.
Source: IRS Criminal Investigation — Jamaican national extradited to West Michigan pleads guilty
Diarbakerly, a Florida resident, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. "There are people out there, like Stewart and Diarbakerly, who have decided to make a career out of defrauding U.S. citizens," U.S. Attorney VerHey said. "If you engage in fraud, we will find you no matter where you are, charge you, convict you and persuade a judge to put you in prison." HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski added that fraudsters who prey on victims with false promises of life-changing prizes will be held accountable regardless of where they operate.