Nine people sentenced after elderly vulnerable Southsea victim conned

Five men and four women were found guilty of money laundering offences, while a man and woman had pleaded guilty earlier last year at Hove Crown Court. Nine of the defendants were sentenced on Monday at Lewes Crown Court.

The offences took place around the country with vulnerable elderly victims being targeted from London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Staffordshire, Sussex, Sheffield, Rugby, Southsea, West Bromwich, Northampton and Middlesex.

The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit’s Regional Fraud Team conducted the investigation.

Eleven defendants were either found guilty or pleaded guilty to 49 offences with a total loss of £614,700.00.

Two are yet to be sentenced.

Financial Investigator, Julie Thompson, from SEROCU’s Regional Fraud Team said: ‘These sentences partially bring to a close, a long and complex investigation, with many of the offences dating back to 2014.

‘Without the money launderers, who are prepared to knowingly allow their accounts to be used to launder the proceeds of crime, these abhorrent crimes would not happen.

‘I hope these sentences bring some closure to the victims and send out a clear message to offenders that the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit will pursue all those involved in these despicable crimes against the most vulnerable in our community.

‘Our next step will be to aim to try and get compensation of the victims, in an attempt to recover the money they have spent a life time working for.’

‘We await the sentencing of husband and wife; Kathleen McCarthy who was found guilty in her absence for offences totalling over £220,000and Oliver Boswell who pleaded guilty to offences totally over £24,000. Both are currently wanted for failing to attend court.’

The nine who were sentenced were:

• Philip Montague, 61, of Sandon Road, Basildon, Essex was found guilty of money laundering offences including three counts of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

He received a total of £101,000 from a victim which took place in North London between 13 October and 6 November 2014. He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.

• Scott Watkins, 37, of Matlock Road, Coventry, Warwickshire was found guilty of money laundering offences which included 15 counts by unanimous decision and one count by majority decision of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

He had received a total of £142,100 from the four victims which took place in Rugby, Southsea, West Bromwich and North London areas between 19 August 2014 and 9 April 2015. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

• Victoria Abbott, 40, of The Stow, Harlow, Essex pleaded guilty on 28 March 2017 to one count of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

She had received £80,000 from a victim which took place in North London between 16 and 18 December 2014. She was sentenced to a 12 month suspended prison sentence and given a community order of 200 hours unpaid work.

• Francis O’Rourke, 42, of Broome Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands was found guilty by majority verdict of two counts of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

He had received £9,500 from a victim in the West Bromwich area which took place between 17 and 19 December 2014. He was given a community order in the form of a curfew for 90 days.

• Paul Farn, 53, of Marriott Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, was found guilty of one unanimous verdict count and two majority verdict counts of entering into or becoming concerned in a Money Laundering arrangement, contrary to section 328(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

He arranged for £20,000 to be paid into the bank account of Kyle Wright from a victim in the North London area which took place between 21 and 29 April 2014. He received a conditional discharge for two years.

• Kyle Wright, 23, of Marriott Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, was found guilty of one count of entering into or becoming concerned in a Money Laundering arrangement, contrary to section 328(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

He had received £10,000 from a victim in the North London area which took place between 21 and 29 April 2014. He was given a community order in the form of 100 hours of unpaid work.

• Roseanna Sheridan, 48, of no fixed abode was convicted by majority verdict of one count of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

She had received £7,300 from a victim in the Northampton area which took place between 23 and 24 April 2014. She was given a community order in the form of 90 hours of unpaid work.

• Charlotte Morris, 38, of Essex Close, Kenilworth, Warwickshire was found guilty of one count of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

She had received £6,000 from a victim in the Rugby area which took place between 8 and 10 April 2014. She was given a community order in the form of 80 hours of unpaid work.

• Chantelle Hinton 27, of Burbury Close, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, was found guilty by majority verdict of one count of converting criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contrary to section 327(1)(c) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

She had received £2,800 from a victim in the North London area which took place between 6 and 8 August 2014. She was given a conditional discharge for 12 month months.