Supreme Court Orders Alleged Scammer to Pay $12 Million, Forfeit BMW X6

Kingston, Jamaica – A man accused of involvement in lottery scamming activities has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay $12 million to the State and surrender a BMW X6 valued at $11 million.

The ruling, made by way of a consent order last month, brought to a close civil recovery proceedings initiated by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) against Simnel Mullings under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). The development was disclosed by the Financial Investigations Division (FID), which enforces the legislation aimed at combating financial crimes, including money laundering.

Under the agreement, Mullings is required to make an immediate payment of $4.5 million to the ARA. The remaining balance will be settled in 16 equal monthly instalments of $468,750, with the first payment due at the end of this month.

The luxury BMW X6, already handed over to the FID, had been registered in the name of an associate. However, investigators determined that Mullings was the beneficial owner of the vehicle.

Court documents filed by the ARA alleged that the assets in question were linked to proceeds derived from unlawful conduct. According to the FID, evidence presented showed that Mullings received money transfers totaling US$54,695 from multiple senders in the United States between September 2009 and December 2010.

Keith Darien, Principal Director of Financial Crime Investigations at the FID, stated that civil recovery remains a key strategy in preventing criminals from benefiting from illicit gains. He emphasized that, even in the absence of a criminal conviction, authorities will pursue lawful measures to recover assets obtained through fraudulent activities in order to safeguard the public interest.