A 23-year-old mum has been jailed after boasting “mission complete” on Snapchat following a cruel scam that robbed an elderly academic of more than £300,000 in family heirlooms.
Leonnie Charles was part of a gang that posed as police officers to con pensioners into handing over cash and valuables. The court heard the group targeted dozens of victims across the South of England using a fake investigation story to gain their trust.
Charles acted as a ‘courier’ for the group, collecting packages from elderly victims’ homes and handing them over to the gang’s ringleader in exchange for £100 per job.
Victim handed over red suitcase of heirlooms
One of the worst scams involved a man known only as Professor Bhansali, who handed over a red suitcase filled with jewellery spanning four generations of his family.
Shortly after collecting it, Charles took a picture and posted it online with the caption: “mission complete.”
The professor later told the court the jewellery was worth around £300,000 and included century-old items with deep sentimental value. He said he’d considered returning to work to try and recover the financial loss, describing how the theft had left him anxious, unwell and “riding a wave of unhappiness.”
Targeting victims who trusted the police
The scam ran from February to September 2021, with 42 people targeted and 27 victims handing over money or jewellery. The average age of those conned was 78, with the oldest being 90.
Using a trick to keep the phone line open after telling victims to dial 999, the gang made it appear they were speaking to genuine officers. Victims were then told to assist in an investigation by handing over cash or valuables for fingerprint analysis.
An 85-year-old woman said she had saved £4,200 to cover her own funeral and was left feeling “paralysed” when she realised it had been stolen.
Jailed despite ‘devastating impact’ on her life
Charles admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and was sentenced to 32 months in prison at Winchester Crown Court.
Judge Rufus Taylor said: “It’s clear that the gang targeted some of the most vulnerable people in society, many of whom were from a generation that still trust and respect the police.”
He acknowledged the “obvious effect” jail would have on her young daughter, but said he had no choice but to send her down.
Charles’s co-defendant, gang leader Faris Kayani, was previously jailed for five years and six months.
