Five top British athletes were conned by an ex-jailbird - seeking to cash in on the London Olympics - believing his bogus company had sponsorship deals totalling £35m lined up, a court heard.
Global Sponsorship Group Ltd. promised lucrative sponsorship deals with FTSE 100 companies including Audi, Virgin and Vodafone in return for a £500 membership fee.
In reality the company was penniless and set-up by convicted fraudster Mark Cas, 47, of West Brook Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon - formerly of Botley Road, North Baddesley, Hampshire - who collected approximately £11,000-£12,000 in fees.
The five athletes are: Darlaston, Walsall-born Olympic and Commonwealth gold medalist sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis, 29, (pictured) who agreed a £144,000 three-year contract.
Nottingham-born Reigning European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner, 30, from Hucknall, who agreed a £132,000 three-year contract
Heptathlete and TV Gladiator star Lucy Boggis, 20, who agreed an eight-year deal worth over £456,000
Sprinter Abi Oyepitan, 31, a Commonwealth bronze medalist, who agreed an £86,000 three-year deal.
Former national long jump champion Gary Wilson, 25, who agreed a £72,000 three-year deal.
Cas has pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court to falsely representing to each athlete Global Sponsorship Group Ltd. would pay those sponsorship contracts and in some cases cover medical bills and provide an Audi car.
"He was formulating a bogus scam whereby athletes would be conned into parting with their money," prosecutor Mr. Mark Paltenghi told the jurors. "The scam was brought about by him trying to climb on the London Olympics bandwagon.
"The defendant identified there was money to be made in the corporate world of sponsorship amongst British athletes because there was a lot of them that needed support.
"He devised a half-way house, in his own words, a match-making service for a fee," added Mr. Paltenghi.
"His business purported to provide a lifeline for athletes who needed funding and for a fee provide companies that were willing to provide it.
"It all looked very attractive, very profitable. The answer to the prayers of many athletes.
"This scheme was never intended to be genuine, it was utterly bogus and dishonest from the outset, dreamt up as a plausible enterprise.
"The defendant did not have a £35m portfolio. There were no corporate sponsors. He did not have a single penny of funding available at all."
The court was told Cas used the five "Ambassador" athletes to woo younger promising athletes, with their parents often paying the membership fee to secure lucrative sponsorship.
Cas - previously convicted under his birth name Castley - has already pleaded guilty to seven specimen fraud counts in relation to those victims.
Trial continues...........
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