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Woman arrested following lotto sting
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Benson resident Patricia Mata has been arrested after police connected her to an alleged lottery scheme with roots in Madrid, Spain.
Mata is suspected of helping the lottery scam collect more than $20,000 from unsuspecting senior citizens.
Benson Police Detective Brian Williams said he was contacted by Edwin Rodgers in Kentucky about the possible scam.
Rodgers told Williams he received a letter that he had won the lottery, but to release the funds, he had to send a $2,500 check to Mata in Benson.
After sending the money, Rodgers tried to cash the lottery check, where he was told it was fraudulent.
Rodgers and his daughter contacted Williams, who was able to contact the postal service. The postmaster intercepted the money.
With the cooperation the postal service, Williams set up a sting that involved Mata admitting the letter was for her, and she was expecting the money.
Williams knew Mata because she had been investigated for similar offenses in the past, he said.
After police secured a search warrant, Mata cooperated with authorities inside her Sixth Street home, showing police a Fed Ex envelope that contained receipts and other information involved in the lottery scam.
Williams' report states there were receipts bearing various names indicating payments between $500 and $3,000.
"The documentation indicated they, as did Edwin Rodgers, believed they had won a lottery and were sending payment to Patricia Mata as instructed to receive their winnings," the report said. "This also included information that indicates that the $500 in cash sent to "a lady in Arizona" by Edwin Rodgers per his daughter Diana Piercy was in fact sent to Patricia Mata."
Other victims came out of California, Utah, Florida and New York.
Other evidence showed Mata cashed the checks, and sent money to an "Auto Brown" in Madrid on several occasions.
Williams said receipts show Mata is suspected of taking $21,700.
Victims were told they had won between $1 million and $250 million if they would send a designated amount back.
As Williams continued the investigation, he received a call from the U.S. Secret Service, which had also been investigating the case out of Spain.
"Agent Nichols advised that his agency would allow my jurisdiction to proceed with the prosecution of Patricia Mata, stating my agency had his agency's blessing regarding holding Patricia accountable for her involvement in this fraudulent scheme," Williams said.
Whether Mata's al-leged accomplices in Spain are prosecuted by the Secret Service is contingent on cooperation from that country's government, Williams said.
Benson resident Patricia Mata has been arrested after police connected her to an alleged lottery scheme with roots in Madrid, Spain.
Mata is suspected of helping the lottery scam collect more than $20,000 from unsuspecting senior citizens.
Benson Police Detective Brian Williams said he was contacted by Edwin Rodgers in Kentucky about the possible scam.
Rodgers told Williams he received a letter that he had won the lottery, but to release the funds, he had to send a $2,500 check to Mata in Benson.
After sending the money, Rodgers tried to cash the lottery check, where he was told it was fraudulent.
Rodgers and his daughter contacted Williams, who was able to contact the postal service. The postmaster intercepted the money.
With the cooperation the postal service, Williams set up a sting that involved Mata admitting the letter was for her, and she was expecting the money.
Williams knew Mata because she had been investigated for similar offenses in the past, he said.
After police secured a search warrant, Mata cooperated with authorities inside her Sixth Street home, showing police a Fed Ex envelope that contained receipts and other information involved in the lottery scam.
Williams' report states there were receipts bearing various names indicating payments between $500 and $3,000.
"The documentation indicated they, as did Edwin Rodgers, believed they had won a lottery and were sending payment to Patricia Mata as instructed to receive their winnings," the report said. "This also included information that indicates that the $500 in cash sent to "a lady in Arizona" by Edwin Rodgers per his daughter Diana Piercy was in fact sent to Patricia Mata."
Other victims came out of California, Utah, Florida and New York.
Other evidence showed Mata cashed the checks, and sent money to an "Auto Brown" in Madrid on several occasions.
Williams said receipts show Mata is suspected of taking $21,700.
Victims were told they had won between $1 million and $250 million if they would send a designated amount back.
As Williams continued the investigation, he received a call from the U.S. Secret Service, which had also been investigating the case out of Spain.
"Agent Nichols advised that his agency would allow my jurisdiction to proceed with the prosecution of Patricia Mata, stating my agency had his agency's blessing regarding holding Patricia accountable for her involvement in this fraudulent scheme," Williams said.
Whether Mata's al-leged accomplices in Spain are prosecuted by the Secret Service is contingent on cooperation from that country's government, Williams said.
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Really wrote on Jul 13, 2010 2:09 PM: