LOTTERY SCAM
just needed to pay taxes and fees. “Steve Cannon,” prosecutors said, got the Houston woman to send $600,000.
“Steve Cannon” used the number 201-4666634. According to TMobile records, prosecutors say, that number was activated on Oct. 26, 2020, for “Jim Brown” at 4040 NW 34th St. in Lauderdale Lakes.
The filing said that was the storefront for Paradigm
Beauty Bar, which Google shows at 4050 NW 34th St.
State corporation records say that’s the location of Paradigm the Brand, which has one officer: Monique C.
Clarke.
“Further review of call records for the (“Steve Cannon” number) identified a pattern of communication with victims, followed by communication with Clarke’s phone,” the detention filing stated.
MONEY MOVERS
Clarke was living at Plantation’s Midtown 24 Apartments as the alleged lottery scam started in 2020.
The apartment’s registered residents’ parcels go into a locker. That sends an email to the resident, who enters a code on a kiosk to open the locker. As the person enters the code, a camera snaps the person’s picture.
A “Rebecca White” created an account on Aug. 1, 2020, and added the names of Clarke and “Mark Hilton.” Homeland Security Investigations say from Sept. 10, 2020, and Jan. 21, 2021, records show 60 parcels showed up for apartment No. 1201 addressed to Clarke, 21 to “Rebecca White” and 16 to “Mark Hilton.” Prosecutors say 15 of the 16 parcels to Hilton were linked to lottery scams by victim interviews and shipping records.
“Additionally, bank records and images of the person retrieving parcels from the parcel locker linked the same 15 parcels to Clarke,”
From October 2020 through January 2021, prosecutors claim, the three money mules withdrew $529,500 cash from their bank accounts on or around the day before making parcel shipments to Clarke.
Bank records show Clarke making deposits into various Paradigm the Brand accounts at Chase Bank and TD Bank, usually less than $10,000. But, from Jan. 20, 2021 through Jan. 25, 2020, she made teller deposits of $21,200; $25,000; $26,050; and an ATM deposit of $19,800.
“Apparently, Clarke’s urgency to acquire a “high end” vehicle in Jamaica by the end of the month ... caused Clarke to abandon her common practice of structuring her cash deposits,” the detention request said. “Within six days, starting on January 19, 2021, Clarke sent six $25,000 money wires to Jamaica.”
Prosecutors say that $150,000 went to a car dealer in Jamaica for a Mercedes-Benz 2020 AMG GT 63 S Coupe.