Romance fraudster who conned £175,000 out of his victim to fund lavish lifestyle of Rolexes and holidays abroad is ordered to pay back just £30,000
A romance fraudster who conned a woman out of £175,000 to fund a lavish lifestyle has been ordered to pay back just £30,000.
A romance fraudster who conned a woman out of £175,000 to fund a lavish lifestyle has been ordered to pay back just £30,000.
Kye Hughes, 35, of Rochester, Kent, funnelled some of the cash into his personal account and spent it on lush holidays to Portugal and Turkey, Rolex watches, and splashing out £1,200 on Louis Vuitton products.
He had scammed his victim by pretending he was a musician and for extra money invested in luxury watches, suggesting that if she did the same she would double her money.
Hughes received thousands of pounds from his victim who believed it was a legitimate scheme, and asked for more funds, promising a return on her investment which never materialised.
The woman reported the fraud to the force and Hughes was arrested in 2019.
Kye Hughes, 35, of Rochester, Kent, conned a woman out of £175,000 in a romance fraud but will only have to pay back £30,000 of his ill-gotten gains
funnelled some of the cash into his personal account and spent it on lush holidays to Portugal and Turkey, Rolex watches, and splashing out £1,200 on Louis Vuitton products
Hughes was jailed for three years in 2023, and now must hand over more than £30,000 by Christmas Eve or face another 12 months behind bars
He was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court in October 2023 for three years and four months for fraud by false representation and money laundering, according to Kent Police.
At a further hearing at the same court on September 27 this year, he was ordered to pay back £32,144 to the victim by December 24 or face a further 12 months in prison.
Kent Police Detective Inspector David Godfrey said: Our work does not stop at the point of conviction - we will always do everything we can to get as much money as possible back for victims.
In this case, the woman was left heartbroken and under serious financial strain after being defrauded out of her life savings. I hope the compensation from the confiscation order will go towards helping her in the recovery of this ordeal.
Chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) proceeds of crime division, Adrian Foster, said: Romance fraud is a cruel deception that preys on the unique trust and vulnerability that exists in intimate relationships.
Kye Hughes manipulated the victim, stealing from her, threatening her and leaving her with debt and unimaginable stress.
From 2019 to 2024, £450 million has been recovered from convicted criminals through CPS confiscation orders, including £88 million returned to victims of crime, a CPS spokesman added.
