Haulage swindlers
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
311R MEN who had been in business as freight agents and were lid to have swindled hauliers and others out of 000,000 were ven prison sentences fallowing a 16-week trial at Bristol Crown Durt.
Jeffery Henry Lewis, of Wolutampton Street, Dudley, was mtenced to five years; Ian Ellis lorton, of Argyll Street, Wolverimpton, to four years; Sydney le Seville, of Boscomoor Road, 3nkridge, Staffordshire, to 18 ionths, suspended for two Barb; and John Perezyck, of arton Road, Stretford, Manlester, to six months, susended for two years.
They were each accused of )nspiracy to defraud creditors F companies of which they rere directors or managers. Sallie and Perezyck admitted the ffences, but Lewis and Morton denied their involvement. They were found guilty by unanimous jury verdict.
For the presecution, Nigel Hamilton alleged that the men had built up a fraudulent empire as freight forwarding agents operating mainly in the Midlands. Hauliers were swindled out of thousands of pounds as one company after another which the defendents set up went out of business.
They had dishonestly obtained credit goods and services by representing that they would be paid for. They had continued to trade without assets and had kept false books of accounts. They had dishonestly represented that they were conducting a genuine and honest business as freight agents.
Sentencing the men, Judge Peter Fallon said Seville and Perezyck had played minor roles and had come to realise the dis honesty of the dealing. However, both Lewis and Morton had lived off other people by running bogus companies at first independently, but later together.
I As a result, some people were forced into liquidation and others found themselves on hard times. The part played by , Lewis was more reprehensible than that by Morton. There was no evidence of high living but he took the view that Lewis was more likely to know the ultimate destiny of the money involved.
Judge Fallon prohibited both Lewis and Morton form becoming directors of or being concerned in the management of companies for 10 years.