Chief Deputy DA Jeremy Lightner Prosecutes Fraud in Erie Jeep Raffle Case

An Erie man accused of organizing a Jeep raffle in 2021 but failing to award the promised prize—and fabricating a fake winner to conceal the failure—told an Erie County judge on Tuesday that he never intended to cause harm.

"I started this with the goal of doing something positive for the community," said 55-year-old Preston Devenney during his appearance before Judge John J. Mead.

However, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Lightner emphasized the significant impact of the alleged fraud. He presented the court with a list of 204 individuals who purchased tickets for a chance to win a customized 2021 diesel Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Willys 4x4, which Devenney was supposed to award at the Great Lakes Jeep Jam event held at the Wattsburg-Erie County Fairgrounds in July 2021.

Articled sourced at https://www.goerie.com/story/news/courts/2024/07/24/erie-pa-man-gets-prison-term-for-selling-chances-on-jeep-never-awarded-wattsburg-fairgrounds/74508297007/