Gareth Raynor gets 15 months jail time for eBay fraud
Gareth Raynor, a well known British rugby star received a 15 month jail sentence today after it came to light that the international winger had participated in a multi thousand pound fraud ring on eBay.
Raynor, who transfered from Hull FC to play for the Crusaders early this year, was told by the judge that he no longer had a ‘good name’ intact after multiple run-ins with the authorities. Raynor served nine months in jail on a common assault charge after a racially motivated incident some time ago.
Judge Roger Thorn QC handed down the sentence to the rugby player telling him that he had knowingly misled his customers by failing to provide the product he had advertised on eBay. The fraudster’s crimes came to light during a search warrant carried out by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council officers for trading standards. The raid revealed a £36,000 operation in which Raynor was selling fake ink cartridges and console games to eBay shoppers.
A string of email correspondence found on the rugby star’s computers revealed Raynor, 32, had requested from his suppliers that all products look as ‘real’ as possible. Colin Briggs, officer with trading standards for the Yorkshire Council, said the sentence is designed to send a message out to other criminals committing similar acts that the council will punish offenders harshly for such crimes.
Investigators revealed that at least 1,500 transactions between May 2007 and August 2008 have involved fake computer equipment such as ink cartridges and Nintendo DS games. Proceedings for confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act have already been filed against Raynor.