Money launderer for gang that conned vulnerable people out of £350,000 is jailed

A money-launderer acting as a ‘treasurer’ for criminals who conned elderly and vulnerable people out of £350,000 in the space of two months at the start of the pandemic has been jailed. 

The judge told Luke Barling that although he wasn’t directly involved in scamming the 16 victims, his role cleaning the dirty cash by moving it through several bank accounts was ‘critical’ to the fraud. 

Barling, 49, was said to have pocketed more than £80,000 of the proceeds, using it to treat him and his family to gifts including a £2,000 Breitling watch and gold jewellery. 

The court heard scams used by his fraudsters included investment schemes, diamond, shares and land-selling, and also rogue building work. 

One victim, aged 95, ‘invested’ £20,000 into what he believed to be a cash ISA with a 2.55% profit and died before seeing justice. 

Another was undergoing treatment for cancer when they were targeted, while a third was disabled and in a wheelchair, Maidstone Crown Court heard. 

Barling, a construction worker of Sittingbourne, Kent, admitted three offences of converting criminal property. 

Prosecutor Vivian Walters told the court: ‘The frauds took place during the first Covid lockdown and targeted some of the most vulnerable individuals. Many different types of fraud were used.  

‘Most victims thought they were making safe investments in ISAs and savings accounts. They were unaware the fraudsters were using clones of legitimate companies. 

‘One was a victim of rogue trading. Others, who had been previous victims of fraud, were scammed into making payments to sell diamonds, shares or land they owned. 

‘Many are elderly. The oldest was 95 years old and has since died. Some individuals lost their life savings. 

‘Over £100,000 of the money defrauded has not been reimbursed by the banks and has been lost personally by the victims.’ 

The court heard Barling had initially opened two bank accounts with Lloyds in March 2020, using his driving licence, home address, personal email and mobile number as identification. 

He claimed that under a business name of LB Property Service he would be making money from buying land and renovating properties for resale, adding his first deposit would be £100,000. 

But in reality, the victims’ money was paid into the business account before being withdrawn in cash or transferred to his personal account. 

When those were eventually suspended just over a month later, Barling simply opened a third with Tide bank so the fraud could continue. 

Ms Walters said money had also been paid into other accounts not linked to Barling and that while the actual fraudsters were not identified, there was no evidence he directly conned people himself. 

But she added: ‘It is clear he is a small but essential element in a network of organised crime. The scale of criminality involved must have been clear to him, judging by the size of the deposits. 

‘In total, approximately £350,000 went through the accounts operated by him in the space of a couple of months before they were shut down by the authorities. 

‘It is clear that the kind of fraudulent activity undertaken could not operate without the complicity of those such as this defendant. 

‘And it is reasonable to infer that £83,000, approximately 25% of the total defrauded, in transfers into his personal account are likely to have been for his benefit.’ 

When the fraud was discovered, the three accounts held just over £103,000, which will now be subject to confiscation proceedings. 

Jailing Barling for 33 months, Judge Philip Statman said he was ‘a critical cog in the skilful fraud wheel’. 

‘These are people who took time and effort to ensure what they were making were sound investments but sadly they weren’t and have all suffered terribly as a result,” he told him. 

‘This is not victims being reckless and expecting a high turnaround. These are people who have worked through their adult lives, put money away for their retirement and have been fleeced. 

‘The quality of their lives has been undermined. Some have suffered poor health from the shock of it all, others feel responsibility when they shouldn’t. They have been tricked. 

‘But while not the prime mover or face-on contact, without you, without the safety of your bank accounts, this fraud could not be perpetrated in the manner it was. 

‘You are a greedy criminal, prepared to go about this type of crime to receive ill-gotten gains.’ 

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Detective Constable Roger Harris said: ‘Luke Barling was essentially acting as a treasurer for other criminals by allowing them to pay illegally earned funds into his bank accounts in exchange for a share of the proceeds. 

‘While there is nothing to suggest he targeted the victims in this case himself, he should still be thoroughly ashamed of himself for his connection to the crimes committed. 

‘Those responsible took advantage of people who were largely elderly and vulnerable, many of whom handed over their life’s savings in good faith. 

‘While a number of victims were able to recover the money they had lost, including some with our assistance, others have been permanently deprived of vast quantities of money at a time when they are entitled to be enjoying their later years. 

‘The consequences of the crimes committed will have a long-lasting impact on the victims so it is only fair that Barling should have to take responsibility for his own actions by spending a significant amount of time behind bars.’ 

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