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Scammers sentenced after defrauding holidaymakers

Sat, 24 Jan 2015

Two men have been sentenced after pleading guilty to deception, theft and money laundering offences.

Douglas man Craig Peter Jay and Brian Edward Penrose, from Essex, appeared before the Court of General Gaol Delivery yesterday.

In June 2012, Mr Penrose submitted an application in the name of his property letting company, Click Letting Ltd. - obtaining a card processing facility from WorldPay UK Ltd.

Mr Jay, the managing director of an Island-based online travel agent, then used it to make 108 card transactions to the value of £74,590 through the company to defraud holidaymakers.

Cardholders were double charged by travel company and Click Letting - also arriving at their destinations to discover they had no accommodation. The cash was moved between a number of bank accounts and locations to hide its origin.

Police inquiries found that another company had fallen victim to Mr Jay in 2012, when he embezzled money from another company - stealing £75,740.

Jay pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one count of money laundering, and Penrose pleaded guilty to obtaining services by deception and money laundering.

Deemster Alistair Montgomerie sentenced Jay to 19 months in custody and Penrose to seven months in custody - suspended for two years.

Penrose was ordered to pay £6,000 to one of his victims. A Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation hearing regarding Mr Jay's assets will take place in April of this year. 

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