Teen gang spared jail for bank scam

TEENAGERS who gave fraudsters access to bank accounts to launder almost half a million pounds gained from a scam have been spared jail.

Acting as what are known as “money mules”, they were paid commission for squirrelling away money conned out of 15 elderly or vulnerable victims, including a retired GP in his 80s.

The victims lost a total of £488,000 in savings and inheritance money between January 2014 and July 2015.

Distressed

The court was told last week the victims were tricked into investing in an environmental commodity.

They were also told to hand over more money to the conmen when the company had gone bust or they would be liable to pay tax and to recoup any previous investment. The scam left them feeling “distressed, desperate and distrustful”.

Charles Newton, then 17, recruited others including his elder brother, while a young woman recruited her mother. A court heard Casey, 23, and Catherine Gleeson, 53, of Whitstable, Kent, laundered £88,285 between them over four months in 2015, retaining £19,334 in commission.

The scam was eventually foiled when Tom Hibben, 22, confided in his father, who then “marched him to the police station”, Maidstone Crown Court was told last Friday.

Nine defendants from Kent, including the Gleesons, had pleaded guilty to entering into or becoming concerned in a money-laundering arrangement with others.

Five were given suspended jail terms and community orders.

Four others, including Casey Gleeson, will be sentenced on July 13 and were released on bail.

The man at the heart of the fraud, Charanjit Sandhu, from Kent, admitted his involvement and is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in September.