BISMARCK, N.D. - Four more suspects this month either pleaded guilty or agreed to do so in a large-scale Jamaican lottery scam in the U.S.
That leaves just five of the 15 defendants still scheduled for trial in January.
Prosecutors believe it's the first large-scale Jamaican lottery scam prosecuted in the U.S. Authorities allege it bilked at least 90 Americans out of more than $5.7 million. It's being prosecuted in North Dakota, where authorities began investigating after a woman lost her life savings of more than $300,000 in 2011.
Two suspects remain fugitives. Thirteen others have been arrested and brought to the U.S. to face charges. Six of them have pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the past four months. In return for the guilty pleas, the government is dropping fraud and money laundering counts.