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Illegal immigrant jailed for 'black money' scam
14 Dec 2009An illegal immigrant was jailed for two years for his part in a "black money" scam tricking victims into paying thousands of pounds for worthless fake notes, police said today.
Jean Jacques Lemonga was part of a team who tricked victims across the country into paying for the counterfeit notes between December 2006 and October 2007.
The 29-year-old illegal Congolese immigrant was convicted of fraud and of laundering £80,000 at Bournemouth Crown Court, Dorset on October 13.
His 23-year-old wife Rebecca Bowcott, from Birmingham, was also convicted of jointly laundering the £80,000.
Lemonga was sentenced to 18 months for fraud and two years for money laundering, to run concurrently, on Friday December 11 at Bournemouth Crown Court, Dorset Police said.
The Home Office will also consider whether to deport Lemonga at the end of his sentence.
Bowcott was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, during the same hearing with the judge taking the view that she "did what she was told", police said.
A police spokesman said the scam is so-called because the money is dyed black to allegedly disguise it from officials.
The fraudster offers it for a fraction of its supposed value because of the need for a quick sale.
Stories used to convince victims range from an unexpected inheritance or cash being smuggled out of another country.
A real note is then cleaned of the black dye to convince the victim that the notes are all genuine but in fact the rest of the notes are fakes.
During March 2007, Lemonga tried but failed to use the scam on a shop keeper in Bournemouth.
Police said Lemonga and Bowcott laundered over £80,000 of the profits from his frauds between January 2007 and October 2007.
Most of the money was paid into Lemonga's accounts in banks in Bournemouth and the West Midlands.
The rest of the money was spent on renting a luxury flat in Poole and invested in a rental property in Bournemouth.
When the pair were arrested in Poole in October 2007, Lemonga claimed the laundered money was from inheritance and businesses he was running.
Detective Constable Morn Um-Morn, of Dorset Police's economic crime unit, said: "These convictions are a result of a complex year-long investigation by Dorset Police, with the assistance of West Midlands Police.
"Friday's sentencing shows that the public can be confident that Dorset Police's economic crime team will relentlessly pursue the organised criminals who commit these types of offences, no matter how long it takes to bring them to justice.
"Throughout the investigation Lemonga tried to taunt police as he was so confident that he would get away with these crimes - despite these boasts, it's pleasing that justice has been seen to be done.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to warn the public of this type of fraud. Such scams are not common in Dorset, but they can prove devastating to the victims, who typically lose tens of thousands of pounds.
"In these cases, the victims often feel too ashamed to report the crime, although it is essential that they do so."
Reader views (10)
This scam has been going on for many years in Africa, people should be less greedy and more intelligent.
- Conservationchris, Knutsford ENGLAND, 15/12/2009 07:57
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You forget - he might well be a criminal in his own country too. That means he could be liable to 3rd world criminal justice on his return. That means, inevitably, that it would be against his 'human rights' to be sent there. Ergo - the UK and it's ridiculous leniency towards this foreign stealth invasion is stuck with yet another otherwise waste of breathable air.
- Rogan, Irving, 14/12/2009 17:52
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Lemonga can come here because he's from an ex-British colony.
Oops, I forgot, the Congo was Belgian, wasn't it? ...So what IS he doing here in the first place? Also, who in the Home Office is going to take responsibility (Ha, ha!) for this farce?
- Croyboy, Croydon, 14/12/2009 16:38
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He was only exploiting peoples greed. If people didn't want something for nothing they would not have bought the notes.
Let him stay he is doing the wider communities of migrants a big favour by exploiting the rich and greedy !
- Jenni, Islington, 14/12/2009 16:32
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The Home Office will also consider whether to deport Lemonga at the end of his sentence.
WHAT IS THERE TO CONSIDER?
- P Staker, London, W8, 14/12/2009 16:12
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He will be released before the Home Office have time to consider anything!
Is there not a smart lawyer out there who could take up the cudgel of a victim of such a crime and sue the Home Office for not deporting an illegal in the first place?
10 illegal immigrants wanted for serious crimes in other countries are at loose in the UK.How the hell did they get here in the first place?
Last year at least 10000 yes 10000 Pakistanis over here on student visas have disappeared into the sunset. Brown is telling us that the main threat of terrorism comes from Pakistan and that we should all be vigilant!
We are all in the madhouse and the lunatics are running it.
- James Town, Braintree uk, 14/12/2009 16:02
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Where sre the do gooders, loony lefties and the political correct brigade not on here to defend this illegal criminal immigrant ?
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 14/12/2009 15:52
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Even if his wife is English, how could this convicted criminal illegal immigrant fail to be deported on completion of his sentence? Time to say no to other countries dregs and dross of human beings. This country is being leaned on too far for good natured tolerance. You can see the strain as we read. Watch that tolerance snap if it continues to be misused.
- Frances, London, 14/12/2009 14:01
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I'd like to know what powers are in place to deport this character back to Africa the moment he's served his sentence? -Or will the Politically correct brigade be bending over backwards to allow him to stay here, and get him all 'human rights' and 'benefits' due him?
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 14/12/2009 13:47
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Why will the Home Office only 'consider' deporting this criminal at the end of his sentence? He's an illegal immigrant!
- David, London, UK, 14/12/2009 13:44
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