Los Angeles-Federal Grand Jury Indicts Goleta Man

Santa Maria Times: A Goleta man has been indicted along with four others by a federal grand jury for his alleged involvement in an international lottery scam that took upwards of $20 million from victims over the course of more than 15 years.

Scott Henry Walther, 31, surrendered to federal authorities and made his initial court appearance Wednesday in United States District Court in Los Angeles, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

Through companies in Costa Rica, the Netherlands and other places, the defendants allegedly mailed more than 1 million solicitations that falsely offered an increased chance of winning foreign and domestic lotteries.

Victims were reportedly told that their money would be pooled to buy larger blocks of tickets, and that they were virtually guaranteed to win millions of dollars, which would be invested in trust or pension accounts that would pay monthly pension checks.

Some money was sent back to victims, reported the Department of Justice, but was far less than the amount sent in by them.

United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Press Release No. 07-065