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Virginia Beach woman convicted of participating in lottery scam

Nena Kerny Kochuga received tens of thousands of dollars from victims in the U.S.
Credit: 13News Now

NORFOLK, Va. — A Virginia Beach woman pleaded guilty on Thursday to fraud charges related to her role in a recent Jamaican lottery scam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Nena Kerny Kochuga, 44, of Virginia Beach, received tens of thousands of dollars from victims in the U.S. The victims had been contacted by phone and told by conspirators that they had won a multi-million dollar lottery. The conspirators would then tell the victims that, in order to receive their winnings, they had to mail or wire money for taxes to Kochuga in Virginia Beach, according to court documents. 

Kochuga would keep a portion of the money for herself, and wire the rest of the money to conspirators in Jamaica and other countries. 

Previously, Kochuga had been convicted for the same exact scheme in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.

“Kochuga and her co-conspirators lied, cheated, and stole from their victims out of greed,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Virginia. 

“The financial and emotional harm these scams cause elderly victims and their family members can be utterly devastating. This prosecution should stand as a warning to others considering scamming vulnerable victims: We will not tolerate this criminal activity and will continue to prosecute these cases federally.”

Kochuga pleaded guilty to mail fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 30. 

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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