R.L., also known as “Lord Lester” was convicted of fraudulent trading and concealing criminal property following a nine-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Court Convicts So-Called Lord Lester
R.L., a professional gambler from Luton, England, was recently sentenced to five years in jail for scamming nearly 200 people with fake cruise holidays. The man, who has often called himself “Lord Lester,” among a slew of other aliases, made around £400,000 (around $500,000) from his victims.
Lester lured unsuspecting customers in his Ponzi-style scheme using a company that offered sham cruise miles. The victims were vacationers from across the globe who frequently only realized they had been scammed upon arriving at ports, where cruise operators turned them away. They came from places such as France, Germany, Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the USA.
Lester had allegedly deliberately used convoluted terms and conditions in his contracts. He would also apparently gaslight his victims into believing the problems customers had been their fault. According to Judge Alexander Mills, who headed the case, Lester was “living the high life” in Las Vegas, gambling and playing poker tournaments. Mills further said that this was a “well-planned and complex fraud carried out over a lengthy period of time” that was done knowingly by the defendant.
Victims have often been lured by the promise of cheap cruises to exotic destinations. Early investors shared positive reviews on online forums after taking discounted trips, persuading more people to sign up.
One of the victims, Kim Berthen from Australia, lost around $8,300 on what she thought would be a 30th anniversary trip with her husband. She said she was angry and depressed to have decided to invest in Lester’s company. Another victim, Elizabeth Erskine from New South Wales, described the “harrowing” situation of having to experience the fear and distress of her life “crashing around” her.
Lester being convicted brings an end to a multiyear investigation. Previously, The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau was approached by victims, initially handling 324 claims. According to Essex Police Constable Leanne Smith, who has been investigating Cruisemiles (Lester’s company) and him since 2014, the investigation was large and complex and officers gathered dozens of statements from victims.
She added that many of the cruise companies the victims expected to vacation with had no record of them ever being scheduled to board the ships. Lester had used the funds to support a lavish lifestyle, which he boasted about to the very victims he had defrauded.
However, despite the man trying to hide his tracks, the investigation showed he was using multiple bank accounts to move his victims’ money, all of which led back to him.
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