£3m fraudster in appeal setback

Pomeroy . . . the fraudster led a lavish lifestyle.

THE boss of a £3million gang of fraudsters, who hijacked the corporate identities of Greggs and McDonalds among others, has been told by top judges that his “stiff” jail term was not a day too long.

Kevin George Pomeroy (47) set up bogus email addresses using the names of genuine employees of both firms to fraudulently obtain credit and order millions of pounds worth of goods from a number of major suppliers.

He enjoyed a lavish lifestyle on the proceeds of fraud and ripped off one company so badly that it went bust leaving 40 staff jobless.

Pomeroy, of Stamford Drive, Failsworth, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering at Manchester Crown Court and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in February.

He asked Lord Justice Elias, Mr Justice Holroyde and Mr Justice Supperstone, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, to reduce that sentence.

The court heard Pomeroy was the ringleader of a gang which, in 2008, used the corporate identities of companies to order goods which were delivered or collected, but never paid for.

Only a fraction of the goods stolen have ever been recovered. Thirteen companies fell victim to the gang — one of which forced into liquidation.

Lawyers for Pomeroy argued he had been give insufficient credit for admitting his guilt and that the judge had taken too high a starting point when passing sentence.

Lord Justice Elias disagreed, however, saying: “This was a stiff sentence, but we are not persuaded that it is manifestly excessive having regard to the scale and sophistication of the conspiracy.

“The judge was entitled to regard this offending as fraud of the highest order. There are no grounds for appeal against sentence that can properly be argued.”