British fraudster scammed £10.6m from victims around the world with whisky fraud
A British fraudster scammed over ten million pounds from elderly and vulnerable victims in one of the world's biggest ever whisky fraud schemes.
Casey Alexander spun investors lies about the “glamorous and lucrative” market of high-quality single malts and rare Scotch, only to run off with their money.
Appearing in a US court this week, the 26-year-old confessed to using “aggressive and deceptive tactics” to take around £10.6million from 150 elderly investors as he admitted conspiracy to commit wire fraud at a US District Court in Northern Ohio.
Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. accepted the guilty plea, and court records show that Alexander will be sentenced on 11 July.
In his promotional videos he’s seen flogging his goods, dressed in a suit and boasting the core values of one of his firms, Vintage Whisky, are honesty and integrity. Casey 'Vintage Whisky' has no connection to the UK based Vintage Whisky Club.
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Alexander, from Stoke Newington, London, would cold call pensioners and claim his firm was a “specialist” in sourcing the “most difficult to find and rarest single malt Scotch whisky casks”.
The British fraudster almost made off with over £10million in one of the world's largest ever whisky fraud schemesThe idea was simple, people would invest, and as the whisky would mature in the barrel, it would become worth more and more, making them money if they were to sell.
But Alexander scammed elderly and vulnerable people out of their money.
The Mail Online reported on his horrific tactics, and how he would offer massive profits to his victims - profits that would never materialise.
He now faces up to 20 years in jail after being rumbled by the FBI.
Federal agents said he would make trips across the Atlantic to speak to clients, claiming to represent Vintage Whisky.
It was also claimed, during the trial, that he suggested to investors they would be invited to parties in Scotland if they bought more whisky.
Suited and booted, Alexander would spin lies to potential investors of money they would make, only to leave them empty handedHe was eventually arrested in Ohio following a sting operation, and charged in a federal court in Cleveland with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Alexander wasn’t alone and worked with a number of associates to complete the sick scams, but as he was charged, these were listed as “other unknown co-conspirators” NBC reported.
Alongside Vintage Whisky, he was said to have used two other businesses, Charles Winn LLC, and Windsor Jones LLC, in the scheme.
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The affidavit said: "Using aggressive and deceptive tactics promising large returns on wine and whiskey investments, Defendants were able to convince victims to wire funds or make checks out to the Suspect Companies to invest in purported wine or whiskey.
"After the initial investment with the Suspect Companies, the Defendants kept in contact with the victims via email and telecommunications convincing them to keep investing with the Suspect Companies by promising even larger returns on their initial investments."
The FBI said that none of the victims ever received their money back.
American media reported on one victim, an 89-year-old man from Highland Heights, Ohio, who was scammed out of more than £240,000 over 18 months.
The police were only contacted when the man’s son, who has power of attorney, learned that his father had been scammed.
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