Saturday 7 May 2011

'Costa Del Crime' Boiler Room Gang Jailed


A flash young gang of ‘boiler room’ fake-shares fraudsters, who swindled millions of pounds out of hundreds of middle-aged and elderly investors while living the high-life on the Costa del Sol, have been jailed.

The gang, which mostly consisted of friends from the North-East, used authentic shareholder lists to convince investors they were associated with companies the victims had already invested in.

They are: Telephone salesman Mark Brannan, 28, of Arlington Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, who received eighteen months imprisonment.

Telephone salesman Sam Hamed, 25, of Byland Court, Washington, Tyne and Wear, who received three years and nine months.

Telephone salesman Dean Hamilton, 26, of Cleeve Court, Washington, Tyne and Wear, who received three years.

Senior manager Scott Henderson, 31, of Morgan Street, Sunderland, who received four years.

Telephone salesman and manager Anton Deach, 25, of Heaton Street, Prestwich, Manchester, who received five years.

Telephone salesman and manager Babatunde Aluko, 29, of Clarence Avenue, New Malden, Surrey, who received three years and nine months.

Ringleader George Abrue, 29, of no fixed abode, who received five years.

Hamed, Henderson, Aluko and Abrue pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to money launder; Brannan and Hamilton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud only and Deach, the only plotter to deny the charges was convicted by a jury of conspiring to defraud.

Harrow Crown Court (pictured) Judge Graham Arran made a contempt of court order restricting reporting of the case to only identifying the defendants and the charges they have been convicted of due to a pending trial.

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