Husband And Wife Fraudsters Extradited From Jamaica After Wife’s Failed Attempt To Flee Justice
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 - United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and United States Marshal for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, announced the extradition of husband and wife, SWAYNE BARKER and RICKI RICKALINE GIBBS, from Jamaica today on fraud and bail jumping charges, respectively. BARKER faces charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and receiving stolen money for his role in a multi-year scheme to defraud elderly victims across the United States, resulting in losses of over $1.7 million to more than 20 victims. GIBBS was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas in January 2026 to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with this scheme. Following sentencing, GIBBS fled to Jamaica and now faces additional charges for bail jumping. BAKER and GIBBS arrived in the United States on August 27, 2026, and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. Both cases are assigned to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.
“Today’s extradition makes clear that fraudsters who exploit vulnerable victims will be held accountable and that those who would seek to escape the consequences of their crimes will be relentlessly pursued until they are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.
“Attempting to escape a federal sentence or hide from charges across the ocean is a losing strategy,” said U.S. Marshal Ricky J. Patel. “Ricki Rickaline Gibbs jumped bail and fled to Jamaica, but the USMS in the Southern District of New York and the USMS Jamaica Foreign Field Office, working hand-in-hand with local Jamaican law enforcement, tracked both Gibbs and Swayne Barker down. Our message is clear: if you prey on vulnerable individuals there will be nowhere safe for you to hide. We will find you and bring you back to answer for your crimes.”
According to the Superseding Indictment through which BARKER is charged and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:(1)
From at least in or about 2019 through at least in or about 2023, BARKER and GIBBS defrauded more than 20 victims of over $1.7 million by representing to victims that they had won prizes in a sweepstakes and needed to transfer money to pay taxes and fees to claim their purported prizes. In truth, the victims had not won any sweepstakes prizes, and BARKER, GIBBS, and others misappropriated these victims’ funds.
Victims of this scheme typically received an unsolicited phone call or text from an individual using a common name—e.g., “Robert James,” “Robert Hill,” or “Mark Miller”—claiming they had won a life-changing amount of money and a luxury car but needed to pay taxes or fees to addresses and accounts specified by the caller before receiving the prize. The caller then remained in contact with the victims and, after the victims made their initial payments as directed, informed the victims that additional payments were required to receive their purported winnings. In particular, victims were instructed to send money by mailing checks, money orders, Vanilla Visa gift cards, and cash concealed in books, as well as by wire and Zelle transfer, to addresses and accounts identified by the caller. After luring victims in with the sweepstakes lie, the perpetrators of this scheme also used romance scam tactics to induce victims to continue making payments. Gibbs is a dual citizen of Jamaica and the United States, who participated in the scheme from both New York and Jamaica, alongside co-conspirators based in Jamaica, including BARKER, who is a citizen of Jamaica.
According to the Indictment charging GIBBS with failure to surrender for service of sentence and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
GIBBS was sentenced by the Honorable Kenneth M. Karas on January 7, 2026, and ordered to surrender on February 9, 2026, to the United States Marshal for the Southern District of New York, or to a designated facility. GIBBS failed to surrender to the United States Marshal on that date and instead fled to Jamaica, where she was arrested in April 2026 pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest warrant.
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BARKER is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, as well conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison. GIBBS is charged with failure to surrender for service of sentence, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison. In addition to this new charge, GIBBS has been extradited to serve her pending sentence of 51 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. GIBBS has also been ordered to pay forfeiture of $1,018,703, and restitution of $1,379,402.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Division. Mr. McDonald also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Jamaican authorities, including the Jamaican Constabulary Force, for their assistance in securing BARKER and GIBBS’s arrest and extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander, Margaret Vasu, and Ioannis Drivas are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges against BARKER in the Superseding Indictment and against GIBBS in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment against BARKER and the description of the Superseding Indictment against BARKER set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Contact
Nicholas Biase, Shelby Wratchford
(212) 637-2600
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
