Grimsby Telegraph

Conman swindled £400k out of investors

FRAUDSTER, 51, JAILED FOR SIX YEARS

- By MATT JACKSON matthew.jackson@reachplc.com @GrimsbyLiv­e

A GRIMSBY conman raised £400,000 of investment­s for a company he said was supplying medical supplies, including ambulances, to the Libyan Embassy.

Essam Elmegrhi said his business would provide quick and profitable returns to anyone who invested.

But when the returns never materialis­ed, investors started to ask questions of the 51-year-old.

Elmegrhi attempted to cover his tracks by sending a bank letter claiming it proved he was trying to pay the money back.

However, the bank confirmed the letter was fake.

Instead, the bank said, Elmegrhi had forged it in a bid to deceive his victims.

In total, between December 2014 and July 2017, Elmegrhi managed to raise £400,000 from numerous victims. He told his victims their investment was needed to help run the business.

Elmegrhi, of Tivoli Gardens, in Grimsby, has now pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of forgery at Hull Crown Court. He has now been jailed for six years.

One of Elmegrhi’s victims submitted a victim impact statement to the court.

In it, they said: “I doubt the effect of this ordeal will diminish with time, and I personally feel this will remain to be the single worst experience in my life.”

Detective Constable Dan Gargon from Humberside Police welcomed the sentence. He said: “Elmegrhi is a manipulato­r and a dishonest criminal who carefully plotted a sophistica­ted plan to scam a large amount of money from people who trusted him implicitly.

“He exploited their good nature and betrayed their trust which had a significan­t impact upon the victims and the local community. I hope that the victims and the local community are reassured by the lengthy custodial sentence and the fact that he is unable to continue his deception.

“I want to thank the victims for their support throughout the investigat­ion and court process. This was an incredibly complex and protracted investigat­ion and today’s result wouldn’t have been possible without their co-operation.”

He exploited their good nature and betrayed their trust which had a significan­t impact upon the victims and the local community. Det Con Dan Gargon

 ?? ?? Essam Elmegrhi has been jailed
Essam Elmegrhi has been jailed

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