Cape Cod Woman Who Scammed Elderly Sentenced

HYANNIS, MA – A Hyannis woman was sentenced this week in federal court for her role in a fraudulent lottery scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Ashley Barrett, 26, and others tricked elderly victims across the country by falsely claiming they had won millions of dollars in a lottery and had to pay taxes or fees in order to claim their winnings, federal authorities said.

The scam ran from September 2012 to January 2016. Twelve victims sent Barrett wire payments and checks totaling $325,148, in addition to cash payments, according to the USAO.

The victims included a 73-year-old farmer and Vietnam veteran from Iowa, who received a call saying he had won the Mega Millions lottery. After paying some money and stopping, he was contacted by a man claiming to be a federal agent who promised to help get his money back. The victim was directed to send money to Barrett, who was also purportedly a federal agent.

Barrett received checks totaling $27,098 from the victim, authorities said.

Another victim, a 73-year-old retiree who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, a bedridden Korean War veteran, received calls claiming she had won $10 million, cars and a truck in the lottery. She was told to pay taxes and customs fees up front and sent $26,000 to Barrett, according to the USAO. As a result of the scam, the couple lost their home, an RV, a truck and their credit, federal authorities said.

In 2015, a widow suffering from dementia told her nephew that someone claiming to be Ashley Barrett called and told her she won the lottery. That woman sent Barrett checks totaling $25,000, the USAO said. She died last year at age 93 from Alzheimer's disease.

According to federal authorities, other victims included:

• a 77-year-old widow who now works two part-time jobs to make ends meet after losing her retirement savings to Barrett and other scammers
• a Navy veteran who lived in Arkansas until his death in 2015 at age 87, who sent Barrett $149,050 in wire transfers and checks
• an 88-year old South Carolina woman who sent Barrett $43,500 in wire transfers and checks
• an 84-year old Indiana woman who sent Barrett checks totaling $18,000
• an 80-year old woman in Georgia who sent Barrett a check for $9,000
• an 84-year old Kentucky man who sent Barrett a check for $8,000
• a 90-year old Illinois man who sent Barrett a check for $5,000
• an 89-year old woman who wired $3,000 to Barrett
• an 87-year old Texas man who wired Barrett $2,000

A 95-year old woman in West Virginia mailed Barrett an $8,000 check that was intercepted by postal inspectors.

Barrett pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in November. She was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $325,148 in restitution.