Midland businessman jailed for laundering thousands in online lonely hearts fraud

A BUSINESSMAN has been jailed for allowing his bank accounts to be used as part of a £800,000 lonely hearts fraud.

Neil Brown, of Grange Road, Smethwick, received vast amounts of cash from vulnerable people who had been duped online in a “sophisticated and heartless” fraud.

The court heard 14 victims had paid into Brown’s accounts on 39 separate occasions, the largest sum being £122,000 and that in total £839,000 went to him and another man, James Labongo.

Brown had denied money laundering but was found guilty following a trial in April at Birmingham Crown Court.

The 74-year-old was jailed for two and a half years. Labongo is serving a sentence of five-and-ahalf years after being previously convicted of converting criminal property.

Brown had allowed his accounts to be used over a fivemonth period between 2011 and 2012 when more than £347,000 had poured into them from which he took a percentage.

Gareth Walters, prosecuting, said: “The fraud that was underlying this whole business was sophisticated and heartless and was a so called romance fraud involving vulnerable victims.

“Men and women conned into believing they were being loved and asked to part with money to help their loved one out.

“Victims looking for loans were targeted along with others told they had won nonexistent prizes – but had to send money first.

“What they all had in common is that they needed to have somewhere to send money to. That is where Labongo and Brown come in.”

Labongo received over £492,000 and took the money out in cash, handing some to the fraudsters and keeping some himself.

In passing sentence Judge Richard Bond said: “Fraudsters contacted their victims who lived all around the world persuading each of them to pay large sums of money to your and Labongo’s bank accounts.

“You are not one of the fraudsters. I am satisfied you were motivated by greed.

“This criminal activity was conducted over a sustained period of time.

“The money flowed from around the country and from around the world and would have been distributed back to criminal gangs overseas.”

Tom Walkling, defending, said “His [Brown’s] function was to have an open bank account and withdraw money. That was it. It was under the direct orders of Labongo.

“There is no evidence of him having any understanding of what type of criminal activity was behind the money that was going into his accounts.”