Gang member who helped scam £416k from elderly jailed

A woman who was part of a gang that scammed people out of cash and jewellery worth £416,000 has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Leonnie Charles, 23, from Reading in Berkshire, worked as part of the group based in the town that tried to scam at least 42 people, the oldest being 90 years old.

They took money and jewellery from 27 victims, who lived in Hampshire, London, Surrey, Kent and Sussex, and collected £116,000 in cash between February and September 2021.

Charles admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and was jailed at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.

She denied three counts of having custody or control of a counterfeit currency and those charges will lie on file.

In January, three other gang members were jailed at Salisbury Crown Court for their involvement in the scam.

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