Fraudsters sentenced after conning 48 victims

Darren Wykes (left) George Quinn have been sentenced after a two-year fraud spree PHOTO Lincolnshire Police

Two men have been jailed and two others handed suspended sentences for a series of 46 ‘sneak in’ burglaries that targeted at least 48 victims across care homes, schools, GP surgeries and even hospices.

One of the locations they targeted, in a spree spanning two years between 2023 and last year, was an unnamed Melton Mowbray hotel on May 3, 2024.

The co-conspirators targeted vulnerable organisations in 13 different counties across mainly the East and West Midlands, but also as far as Dorset and Hampshire.

But a dogged investigation from Lincolnshire Police, led by Det Sgt Adam Petty - working with a single analyst and one financial investigator - uncovered the gang’s criminality.

After targeting 16 GP surgeries, 10 care homes, seven schools, five hospitality venues, five hotels and two hospices, they were sentenced on Friday at Lincoln Magistrates' Court for conspiracy to commit burglary and fraud:

Darren Wykes (46) and 57-year-old George Quinn, both of Coventry, were jailed for five years and five months, and five years, respectively.

Two other men, also from Coventry, David Ovington (59) and Daniel Sutherland (40), both got 21 months prison, suspended for two years.

Det Sgt Petty, of the Lincolnshire Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "These unscrupulous fraudsters targeted hard-working people doing their utmost for their local communities, using every trick in the book to deceive and manipulate their victims.

"They would callously engineer a spurious scenario to create a situation of panic, taking advantage of the victims while at their most vulnerable, to fraudulently obtain their PIN. But through sheer hard work and dedication and meticulous data analysis, we have been able to bring these offenders to justice.

"For a force with such limited resource, we are delighted to have helped deliver justice for so many victims."

During their two-year operation, the gang used 20 phones – six of which were burner phones, which are cheap phones loaded with prepaid credit. They are often discarded after a short time in an attempt to avoid being traced. They also used four vehicles.

Wykes saw £447,000 go through his bank account, £127,000 of which was cash paid in at Post Offices in the Coventry area.

Police are now pursuing action through the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover stolen property and funds.