Police hunt Little Billington man who conned nearly £200k out of 29 people as two sentenced
Two men from Leighton Buzzard have been sentenced after conning 29 people out of nearly £200,000 – but police are hunting for one of them after he failed to show up at court.
Johnny Ward, 24, and Bernard Mongan, 31, pleaded guilty to a combined 34 counts of fraud at Luton Crown Court, after a police investigation found they cold-called at properties pretending to help.
They then entered their victims’ homes and either stole money, or drove victims to cashpoints and demanded that money was transferred to one of 16 bank accounts they had access to.
Ward and Mongan, both of Slapton Road in Little Billington, carried out offences across Buckinghamshire, as well as further afield in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Essex.
Ward was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail for 24 counts of fraud, while Mongan was given a 14-month suspended sentence for two years for 10 counts.
But Ward is now being hunted by police after he failed to turn up to court on January 16.
Detective Sergeant Ann Ward, from Bedfordshire Police’s Serious Fraud Investigation Unit said: “Ward and Mongan deliberately targeted members of our community, exploiting trust for their own financial gain.
“Their actions caused significant distress and hardship to victims.
“We will continue to pursue those who commit fraud and bring them to justice."