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Jamaican couple living here charged in international sweepstakes scheme

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh couple is accused of running a sweepstakes scam that targeted elderly people across the country.

These type of schemes trick people into thinking they've hit it big, then con them out of hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars.

According to authorities, the couple preyed on the vulnerable and concocted the plot from their home in Hazelwood.

Ashani Levy and his wife Akeyma Harris are in federal custody, both charged in an ever-evolving phone scheme targeting the elderly.

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The investigation started about 10 days ago when an 80-year-old woman from Colorado called police.

She said a caller claimed she won $17 million through Publisher's Clearing House.

She mailed more than $7,000 to Pittsburgh to cover what she thought were taxes and fees, but caught on the next day when another called asked for $16,000. Each time, the calls came from a Jamaica area code.

Police also tracked a package containing $8,000 from Arizona to an East Liberty post office.

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There, police said they caught Levy on camera trying to pick the package up under a different name.

Authorities eventually tracked Levy and Harris to a home on Imogene Road using a dummy package.

Inside their home, investigators said they found Western Union receipts. They say the couple admitted to keeping a small percentage of the cash, but sent the rest back home to Jamaica.

During an interview, police said Harris told Levy to stop, saying the money they were making "wasn't worth it."

Levy and Harris both have preliminary hearings this week. Each is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

 

Cox Media Group

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