Leah Farley: Missing con woman hunted after evading court

Farley was the ringleader of multiple scams involving rental properties and sales of electronic goods online.

A con woman is being hunted by police after failing to appear for sentencing at court.

Leah Farley, 29, is believed to have fled the country after scamming people out of large sums of money by falsely advertising rental homes and electronic goods.

She was due at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday alongside two accomplices.

Farley, of Smethwick, admitted conspiring to commit fraud by false representation in January.

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The fraudster was uncovered as the ring leader of multiple scams, recruiting Martie Verdie and Emran Meah as her accomplices.

They set up fake profiles online advertising properties for rent.

Farley was charged in November 2016

Farley also manipulated friends, family and a man with learning difficulties into paying money into their bank accounts, telling them it was assisting her in receiving benefits for her children.

Verdie, 26, of Summerfield Crescent, Smethwick, was jailed for 52 weeks and Meah, 22, of Pershore Road, Birmingham, was fined £3,000 and ordered to carry out 240 hours unpaid work.

Det Con Richard Potts said: "She would ask for payment for non-existent goods such as mobile phones, claiming her goods were cheap because her husband was a police officer and acquired them through police auctions.

"Similarly deposits were requested for rental properties and once paid, communication ceased. On occasions the victims had given up their existing property to move into their new home, which was never available to rent, leaving them homeless.

"The money went on nights out, clothes and holidays abroad."

Martie Verdie (left) pleaded guilty in January this year while Emran Meah had his trial in September