Post by watchman on Aug 3, 2011 18:54:31 GMT
www.debtmanagementtoday.co.uk/newsstory?id=1269&type=newsfeature&title=religious_fanatic_fleeces_disciples_out_of_224k
Religious fanatic fleeces ‘disciples’ out of £224k
Tuesday 2nd August 2011
A religious ‘messenger’ who told his victims that “God told me to tell you to pay money into my HSBC account,” has been convicted of fraud after tricking his faithful followers into parting with £224,000.
Valere Smith, 49, was jailed for five years at Isleworth Crown Court. The court heard that he had created a “cult style” group called God Kingdom1, which conned believers out of thousands of pounds.
Smith, of Borough Avenue, Wallingford, was found guilty of six counts of fraud, after convincing six people to hand over their cash and subsequently get into debt themselves.
He allegedly told one follower: “God told me to tell you to pay money into my HSBC account,” reports the Herald Series.
The presiding Judge Georgina Kent said: “I'm sure that you were only able to commit these offences because you deliberately used the unusually high influence that your position of trust as their spiritual and religious leader gave you in order to exploit the victims.”
Smith purported to be a wealthy businessman, who planned to build a church with the money he received from the victims. He promised each individual returns of up to eight per cent return on their investments, which never materialised.
One victim Bernice Sanchez, who was approached by Smith in a shop in Kilburn, London, was told that he could help her with her weight, arthritis and her daughter's back problems. He ended up fleecing her of £100,000 – she paid him tens of thousands over several months, before selling her house in order to continue paying him.
Smith eventually moved into her house for three months, during which time he began to take over running every part of her life.
Tyrone Silcott, prosecuting, said of Smith: “He no doubt thought he was once a good shepherd but he did then end up fleecing his own flock.”
Smith asked his victims to open an HSBC account and pay money into his account. He was found to have used the money to fund his own lifestyle, including investing in a flat.
Mrs Sanchez told the court, “I thought he was a holy man of God,” before adding: “Looking over it now, I must have been really stupid.”
Religious fanatic fleeces ‘disciples’ out of £224k
Tuesday 2nd August 2011
A religious ‘messenger’ who told his victims that “God told me to tell you to pay money into my HSBC account,” has been convicted of fraud after tricking his faithful followers into parting with £224,000.
Valere Smith, 49, was jailed for five years at Isleworth Crown Court. The court heard that he had created a “cult style” group called God Kingdom1, which conned believers out of thousands of pounds.
Smith, of Borough Avenue, Wallingford, was found guilty of six counts of fraud, after convincing six people to hand over their cash and subsequently get into debt themselves.
He allegedly told one follower: “God told me to tell you to pay money into my HSBC account,” reports the Herald Series.
The presiding Judge Georgina Kent said: “I'm sure that you were only able to commit these offences because you deliberately used the unusually high influence that your position of trust as their spiritual and religious leader gave you in order to exploit the victims.”
Smith purported to be a wealthy businessman, who planned to build a church with the money he received from the victims. He promised each individual returns of up to eight per cent return on their investments, which never materialised.
One victim Bernice Sanchez, who was approached by Smith in a shop in Kilburn, London, was told that he could help her with her weight, arthritis and her daughter's back problems. He ended up fleecing her of £100,000 – she paid him tens of thousands over several months, before selling her house in order to continue paying him.
Smith eventually moved into her house for three months, during which time he began to take over running every part of her life.
Tyrone Silcott, prosecuting, said of Smith: “He no doubt thought he was once a good shepherd but he did then end up fleecing his own flock.”
Smith asked his victims to open an HSBC account and pay money into his account. He was found to have used the money to fund his own lifestyle, including investing in a flat.
Mrs Sanchez told the court, “I thought he was a holy man of God,” before adding: “Looking over it now, I must have been really stupid.”
