Diamond con lands four Hove fraudsters in jail

Four diamond fraudsters who used a Hove business as a front for a £1 million scam have been jailed at the Old Bailey in London.

The ringleader Adam Simmons, 27, of Booth Street, Old Swan, Liverpool, who has homes in Malaga and Marbella in Spain and had denied fraud, was sent to prison for six years.

He and his gang used a company called No 1 Gems as a front for their “boiler room” fraud, selling diamonds for much more than they were worth to unwary investors.

No 1 Gems was set up in 2011 and traded from a serviced office at Maritime House in Basin Road North, at the Hove end of Shoreham Harbour.

Maritime House offers clients a fully serviced business centre and yacht marina.

No 1 Gems was raided by police last September but the company had been closed with the gang making plans to set up another business under the name Pinnacle in Eastbourne.

Eight victims gave evidence during a three-week trial although police believe that others were defrauded but may be too embarrassed to come forward.

One pensioner was conned out of his £140,000 life savings to buy diamonds that cost £10,000.

Another victim, from America, parted with £220,000, while another pensioner, from Stoke, paid £5,600 for a £350 diamond.

The other members of the gang were

Adam Simmons’s father Michael Simmons, 53, of Lion Hill, Stone Cross, near Pevensey, who denied fraud, was jailed for two and a half years
Adam Simmons’s brother-in-law Adam Leach, 29, from Hambleton Close, Eastbourne, who denied fraud, was jailed for four years
Michael Simmons’s stepson Lee Miller, 32, of Sackville Road, Bexhill, who pleaded guilty, was jailed for three years and four months
They were charged with conspiring to defraud, money laundering and two counts of fraudulent trading.

All four were disqualified from being company directors and at another court hearing a judge will decide whether any of their criminal profits can be recovered.