Prison for bent metals broker

RIP-OFF Lee Kantor When asked by a suspicious investor if he was running a scam, Lee Kantor replied all innocently: “How can you accuse me of that?”

Now the crook is serving a six-year sentence after conning two victims out of more than £350,000.

He claimed the money would buy rare earth metals, used in hi-tech goods such as smartphones. In reality, the 42-year-old, from Southend, Essex, pocketed as much as 65% of investors’ money as “commission”.

He worked for cold-calling broker Hurst and Laing which claimed to buy the metals from a supplier called Denver Trading.

This company once threatened to sue the Mirror after being exposed in my column.

It never did carry out the threat, and in May four of its key figures were jailed for a total of 29 years.

Kantor, who used the fake name James Anderson, claimed that he was an honest broker and that his victims had been ripped off by Denver Trading.

But he was found guilty of fraud and money laundering by a jury at Basildon crown court.

Det Con Andy Copley of Southend CID said victims were “scammed into investing significant sums of money into what they thought was a legitimate business”.

He added: “I hope today’s sentencing gives them some comfort and I would urge anyone else who may have been victims of these individuals but have not yet come forward, to do so and contact Essex Police.”