A NORTH Cumbria man who allowed scammers to open bank accounts in his name and launder money through them has been sentenced.
Paul Okosun, 33, told police he paved the way for thousands of pounds to be stashed away and then stolen after being approached by “unsavoury people”.
Carlisle Crown Court heard how a fledgling Hampshire-based construction company and a Devon-based woman were the victims of a sophisticated email scam by unidentified crooks in late 2016.
The company transferred £6,500 believing it was being sent to another firm in respect of legitimate work. Meanwhile, the woman sent £1,044 thinking she was paying for the private care of her elderly father who was in deteriorating health.
However, both sums were actually despatched into bank accounts set up on Okosun’s name. Some money was then quickly transferred into third account and then rapidly withdrawn.
Both victims were left well out of pocket, company staff being left “absolutely devastated” while the female reported a “great deal of upset”.
Married father-of-two Okosun – who spoke of being left “in shock” by the fraud – said his gain from the illegal enterprise had been “about a thousand and a half”.
Police had “drawn a blank” in their efforts to bring the scammers to justice, despite a lengthy, painstaking probe, the court heard.
He admitted three charges of entering into a money laundering arrangement. Hearing of his previous good character, Judge Peter Davies suspended a 12-month prison sentence for two years, and ordered him to complete 180 hours’ unpaid work.
But Judge Davies told Okosun, of Carleton, near Carlisle: “The harm that you caused was substantial. It was to people who could ill-afford this loss of money.”