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More charged with rigging McDonald's contests

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (CNN) -- Eighteen more people were charged Friday with defrauding McDonald's as part of a multi-million-dollar scheme to rig the fast-food company's promotional contests. That brings to 51 the number of people charged in the case.

U.S. Attorney Mac Cauley said 18 men from 10 different states and the Caribbean island of Curacao were each charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The alleged scheme involves nearly all of McDonald's big-bucks giveaways dating back to the late 1980s, including the popular "Monopoly" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" contests.

A judge set a $1 million bond for Jacobson.

Prosecutors allege Jerome Jacobson -- a security official known as "Uncle Jerry," who was entrusted with handling the winning pieces -- embezzled more than $20 million worth of high-value winning game pieces over the years. He then allegedly distributed the winning game pieces to individuals who either personally redeemed them or recruited people to act as if they won. At least 13 prizes were valued at $1 million, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors allege that for game pieces worth $1 million, Jacobson would charge $50,000 in cash from the "winner," often money he demanded in advance before giving over the piece. The recruiters also got a cut.

When payments weren't on time, Jacobson sometimes threatened "winners" by saying he could report the game piece as stolen, according to court documents.

Of the 51 people charged so far, eight have pleaded guilty.