Rare Books Obtained In Transatlantic Credit Card Fraud

A crook sold rare editions of novels by Ian Fleming, Rudyard Kipling and Stephen King to specialist booksellers after they were obtained during an international credit card fraud.

A first edition of 'For Your Eyes Only', a rare two-volume set of the 'Jungle Book' and an autographed 'Carrie' from 1974 were all sold to high-end retailers.

London Underground maintenance worker Manhattan Jayde Christian Essien, 27, of Tudor Road, Harrow sold them for £2550.

He also twice tried to sell a copy of Crutchley's map of London - once for £400 - to neighbouring bookshop's, but was forced to abandon the attempts.

The father-of-three pleaded guilty to three counts of converting criminal property and two counts of attempting to convert criminal property between December 19, 2013 and January 20, 2014.

Prosecutor Mr. James O'Connell told Isleworth Crown Court yesterday: "There had been a long-standing police investigation into fraudulent activity involving credit cards and high-quality, high-value books.

"Some of these unique books, which were ordered from America, were delivered to a mailing address in Woburn Place, Holborn.

"The victims had sent them before realising the credit cards used to order the books had been cloned.

"They were high-value books of some antiquity."

Essien was identified via CCTV selling James Bond-creator Ian Fleming's first edition for £400 in Berkeley Square, Mayfair and the two-volume 'Jungle Book' for £650 in Charing Cross Road.

He received £1500 for the autographed novel by U.S. horror writer Stephen King and left the Crutchley's map book behind when he failed to sell it.

Essien told a similar story to retailers that his uncle had tracked-down the books when travelling around the USA.

All three of the books he sold were recovered by the police.

The day before the first offence he had been sentenced for fraud after buying a saxophone online with a bogus credit card then selling the instrument on Gumtree.

He claimed to have sold the books for an accomplice in return for a cut of the proceeds.

Essien was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, ordered to complete 80 hours community service and pay £2550 compensation to the retailers.