Anthony Parker: Conman jailed over false investment scheme

Anthony Parker was investigated after 42 victims were referred to police

A conman who convinced friends and family to invest more than £3.4m in a fake gambling scheme has been jailed.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Anthony Parker claimed to be an investment manager and that his system was "virtually risk-free".

The CPS added Parker ran the fraudulent scheme to fund his own lifestyle.

Parker, 59, was jailed for three years and four months at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to fraud charges.

Leicestershire Police started investigating Parker, of Park Lane, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, after 42 victims were referred to them by Action Fraud.

Officers found he had been conning people into making investments for seven years, between 2011 and 2018.

The CPS said Parker told clients he would invest their money in a controlled gambling scheme involving currency trading and the stock market.

More people become involved through recommendations and over time, more than £3.4m was invested.

The CPS said Parker was actually running a Ponzi scheme where payments collected from new investors were used to pay off earlier investors.

It said he also spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on clothing, rent, credit card repayments and meals at restaurants.

Parker pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation and one count of participating in a fraudulent business.

'Significant losses'

He was sentenced on the basis of a total amount of unrecoverable losses from 20 victims, totalling £1.09m.

Jane Mitchell, from the CPS, said: "Parker acted with greed to convince dozens of victims to part with their own money under the pretence that he would be using it to make smart investments for them.

"Many of these investors have suffered significant losses because of their involvement with Parker's scheme.

"He manipulated a large number of people who trusted him."