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Conman jailed for his £750k furniture scam (From Basildon Recorder)
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Conman jailed for his £750k furniture scam
2:30pm Friday 16th April 2010
A CONMAN has been jailed for 20-months for carrying out a £750,000 fraud which affected about 3,000 people.
Richard Leeson, 41, e-mailed his customers to tell them his internet furniture business Pine Online had gone bust.
He told them they should seek reimbursement for the goods they had already paid for from online payment service PayPal.
But Leeson had in fact moved his stock from his rented unit in Yardley Business Park, Luckyn Lane, Basildon, to a warehouse in Highlands Farm, Rettendon. And he was selling it through another business he ran there called One Click Furniture.
Anil Patani, prosecuting, said Pine Online had been thriving before it got into financial trouble in August 2008.
He said that prompted Leeson, who lived in Benfleet, to pretend it had ceased to exist overnight, before sending out the e-mail to customers in early September.
Mr Patani said as a result, PayPal had reimbursed about 3,000 people an estimated £700,000.
He said an additional £50,000 was left unpaid in rent, delivery and suppliers’ costs.
Immediately after closing Pine Online, Leeson left the country.
On his return, he was tailed by detectives before being arrested in February last year following an investigation by Essex Police.
Peter Woodall, mitigating, said Leeson was a self-made man who set up Pine Online in 2005 and had worked 20-hour days to make it a success.
It operated by selling flat-pack furniture on the eBay website. Customers could pay for goods through PayPal or with credit cards.
He said Leeson was married with young children and a man of “sterling good character” who was very well regarded by business associates.
He said towards the end of the business Leeson was under immense pressure because of court orders, bailiffs, customer complaints, and even death threats. He said that led to his “catastrophic misjudgement” in sending out the e-mail.
A statement read out in court, on behalf of Leeson, said: “I’m very sorry to anyone who has lost money. I feel ashamed and that is why I am here today.”
Leeson, now of Coltishall, Norwich, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in March.
In addition to his jail term, he was banned from being a director of a company for the next seven years.
He will also face a proceeds of crime hearing in November.
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Your Say Your Basildon
perini, Leigh on Sea says...
1:00am Sat 17 Apr 10
He said towards the end of the business Leeson was under immense pressure because of court orders, bailiffs, customer complaints, and even death threats. He said that led to his “catastrophic misjudgement” in sending out the e-mail.
A statement read out in court, on behalf of Leeson, said: “I’m very sorry to anyone who has lost money. I feel ashamed and that is why I am here today.”
So what!!!! The only reason he was in court was because he was caught. An out and out rip-off merchant who had thought the scheme through - hence the stock movement. Confiscate the money - which now mainly belongs to Paypal and make him personally bankrupt until all monies are repaid. So he has a young family - so probably do the people he tried to con!
Nebs, Westcliff-on-Sea says...
8:57pm Sat 17 Apr 10
perini wrote:Spot on. Thanks for saving me the effort of typing something similar.
He said Leeson was married with young children and a man of “sterling good character” who was very well regarded by business associates. He said towards the end of the business Leeson was under immense pressure because of court orders, bailiffs, customer complaints, and even death threats. He said that led to his “catastrophic misjudgement” in sending out the e-mail. A statement read out in court, on behalf of Leeson, said: “I’m very sorry to anyone who has lost money. I feel ashamed and that is why I am here today.” So what!!!! The only reason he was in court was because he was caught. An out and out rip-off merchant who had thought the scheme through - hence the stock movement. Confiscate the money - which now mainly belongs to Paypal and make him personally bankrupt until all monies are repaid. So he has a young family - so probably do the people he tried to con!
geezer, innit, Basildon says...
5:17pm Sun 18 Apr 10
Unit 16 – the unit Leeson rented at Yardley Business Park
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evilc, essex says...
7:17pm Fri 16 Apr 10
That is why criminals are criminals.