A New Jersey woman has admitted to running a lottery scheme that led to a number of senior citizens losing money -- to her -- through fake lottery sweepstakes.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Thursday that Shanile Lyle, 28, of Orange, New Jersey pleaded guilty to an information charging her with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

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Throughout 2018, Lyle would allegedly take checks from the victims of her lottery scheme after telling them they won a lot of money through lottery sweepstakes, and that they had to pre-pay taxes on their winnings.

She would then take the money paid to her, and deposit it into a bank account that she controlled.

Lyle would then take some of the money for herself, and send the rest via wire transfer to other people involved in the scheme, some of which are overseas.

If convicted on the charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, Lyle faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Kristen Santillo Esq., Montclair, New Jersey.

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