A “callous” fraudster who intimidated a victim into taking out £38,000 in loans has been jailed for more than four years.
Ryan Lake, 34, of no fixed address, was sentenced to four years and five months in prison after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
Five other people involved in the scam have also been sentenced, with all six defendants receiving restraining orders preventing them from contacting the victim.
The case has been described by police as having a devastating impact on the victim, who continues to face the financial consequences of the fraud more than four years later.
Five of the defendants appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, July 20, after previously pleading guilty.
They were:
- Ryan Lake, 34, no fixed address – four years and five months in prison.
- Courtney Best, 29, Greenwood Crescent, Winwick – six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
- Nathan Bullen, 31, Martin Avenue, Poplars and Hulme – seven months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
- Joel Clancy, 28, Banks Crescent, Latchford – 13 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
- Ryan Johnson, 29, Gig Lane, Woolston – seven months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
A sixth defendant, Wesley Petch, 35, of Princess Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on September 2 and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Best, Bullen, Clancy, Johnson and Petch were all convicted of conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
Five of the defendants were also handed 15-year restraining orders, while Petch received a 10-year restraining order, preventing them from contacting the victim.
Victim left frightened and intimidated
The fraud took place between May 23 and May 25, 2022, when Lake arranged for several loans totalling £38,000 to be taken out in the victim’s name.
The money was paid into the victim’s bank account, with Lake then instructing them to withdraw cash and transfer money to accounts belonging to his associates.
Police said Lake attended the victim’s home and behaved in an intimidating manner, leaving them feeling extremely uncomfortable and scared.
On May 23, Lake instructed the victim to withdraw £5,000 in cash, which he subsequently collected from their home.
The following day, he demanded a further £5,000. Lake returned to the address with Joel Clancy to collect the money.
Lake also accessed the victim’s online banking without consent and made transactions using the loan money.
In June 2022, the victim’s banking app was downloaded onto an iPhone 13 and their account was accessed.
Two transfers of £2,000 were made on June 5 and June 6, while further attempts to transfer £10,000 and £2,000 were declined.
Thousands transferred to associates
The investigation established that Lake instructed money to be transferred into the bank accounts of the other defendants.
Courtney Best received £1,000 on May 23.
Nathan Bullen received £3,000 on May 25.
Joel Clancy received £1,000 on May 23 and was also present when Lake collected cash from the victim.
Ryan Johnson received three payments totalling £7,000 – £3,000 on May 25, £2,000 on May 30 and a further £2,000 on June 6.
Wesley Petch received two payments totalling £5,000 – £2,000 on May 24 and £3,000 on May 25.
Police said the defendants subsequently either withdrew the money or transferred it into other accounts.
Investigators were able to trace the fraud back to Lake after the IP addresses of the devices used to apply for the loans were linked to him.
Bank records also provided evidence of the transactions and movement of the money through the defendants’ accounts.
‘Impact should not be underestimated’
Detective Constable Ian Prashar, from Warrington CID, said the impact on the victim had been significant.
He said: “The victim felt intimidated by Lake and harassed by the relentlessness of constant money coming in and out of their account.
“The impact of this crime should not be underestimated.
“Not only is the victim living with the trauma of the ordeal at Lake’s hands but is also living through the financial fallout of being scammed by Lake and his associates, with loan companies chasing for payment and the impact on their credit score making life difficult to navigate.”
He added: “We have got justice for the victim by putting Lake behind bars, but the victim is still having to live with the consequences of his callous crimes and those who helped him execute his scam.”
The sentences bring the criminal proceedings against all six defendants to a conclusion, but the victim continues to face the financial and emotional consequences of the fraud more than four years after the money was taken.
