A Jamaican woman accused of involvement in fraud, who was recently extradited, has been formally charged in relation to a debt relief scam, by US authorities.

36 year old Sereika Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, appeared in U S Federal court, yesterday.

Goodison was arraigned on an eight-count indictment, charging her with creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U S victims into paying fees and disclosing personal identifying information, sensitive information, and identity documents to obtain debt relief, which did not actually exist.

On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count sealed indictment charging Goodison with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and three counts of aggravated identity theft.

The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2018, Goodison conspired with others to profit from fees paid by victims of fraudulent debt relief companies.

The indictment alleges that conspirators created and operated fraudulent businesses and websites that marketed and sold fraudulent debt relief services to members of the public.

Conspirators fraudulently misrepresented that members of the public could apply for and obtains thousands of dollars’ worth of debt relief on their outstanding, unpaid bills in the form of grants, all in exchange for payment of a service processing fee. 

Conspirators also claimed that the purported debt relief was funded and administered by the U S government.

Through their false representations, Goodison and her co-conspirators are alleged to have induced or attempted to induce victims throughout the united states to pay over a million dollars’ worth of service processing fees, via Western Union, Moneygram, Paypal, and other payment mechanisms.

Goodison arrived in the D C Metropolitan area on Thursday after being extradited from Jamaica.

At Friday’s initial appearance in court the judge ordered that she be held without bond pending her next hearing, which is scheduled for September 20.