Police on Thursday searched a Bentonville home connected to a lottery scam that touched 20 states, according to a news release.
At least 20 people were scammed out of $20,000 between April and December, according to Bentonville police. One victim thought she was paying taxes on lottery winnings, the release said. Most of the victims were elderly, according to police.
Gary Parent, 50, of 508 N.W. Bella Vista Road in Bentonville, Deanna Clark, 47 , of the same address and Sandra Clark, 43, also of the same address, were arrested in connection with felony theft of property by deception, according to police.
An investigation began in June when a person from Story called Bentonville police and reported being scammed out of $900, according to the release. The person told police Parent and Deanna Clark agreed to pay back the money a little at a time.
A person from Mobile, Ala., reported a similar scam to Bentonville police in December, according to the release.
That person told police they had been told they were winners of a lottery and a new car, but had to send money to Parent for taxes. Police determined Parent had kept some of the money and sent some of it to Jamaica, according to the release.
Deanna Clark, Parent's girlfriend, and her sister Sandra Clark helped Parent with the scam, according to police.
Parent, Deanna Clark and Sandra Clark were being held at the Benton County Jail on Thursday with no bonds set, according to police.
NW News on 01/15/2016