A family who conned friends out of tens of thousands of pounds are to have their 'unduly lenient' sentences reviewed.
Audrey Osborne and her three sons, Gary, Ian and Clayton Moore, ran companies which fraudulently obtained mortgages and encouraged people to invest in developments, largely on plots of land at West Wind in Neath.
Their victims included one man whose son was diagnosed with cancer, and who was persuaded to invest £30,000, with some of the payment coming from a critical life policy.
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The fraudulent activity dated back to 2006, but only came to Swansea Crown Court in October.
Before sentencing, Judge Huw Rees said there had been 'an inordinate delay' in bringing the family before court, and handed them each suspended sentences.
However, following a referral to the Attorney General, their sentences are to be reviewed to decide whether they had been unduly lenient.
A spokesman for the Attorney General's office said: “The Solicitor General was shocked by this case and wishes to express his sympathies to the victims. I can confirm that the Solicitor General has referred Audrey Osborne's, Clayton Moore’s, Ian Moore’s and Gary Moore’s sentences to the Court of Appeal as he agrees that they appear unduly lenient.
"It is now for the Court to decide whether to increase the sentences.”
Audrey Osborne, aged 65, and her sons Gary Moore, aged 43, Ian Moore, aged 44, and Clayton Moore, aged 46, ran a number of companies including Credence Finance and Dreamscape Homes, through which they fraudulently obtained mortgages and encouraged people to invest in developments.
In addition to the mortgage frauds, the family secured a number of investors in Dreamscape Homes, including family friends, employees and Credence customers. The investors provided amounts of around £25k, some re-mortgaging their own homes to do so. They received share certificates in return, but none received a return as the land was never developed.
Friends invested money from retirement payments and health insurance policies, and they also persuaded an office manager working for them into a fraudulent scheme, which led to her having to take time away from her ageing parents before they died.
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The investment fraud was worth over £1 million.
Another victim who was persuaded to invest £20,000 complained of "being fobbed off when we were trying to find out what was happening".
In total, the family pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud, including conspiracy to commit fraud, and obtaining money transfers by deception and fraud.
Gary Moore, of Fforest Hill in Aberdulais, admitted conspiracy to make a false representation, obtaining money transfer by deception and three charges of making a false representation. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each count concurrent suspended for 12 months with three requirements; ten days rehabilitation activity requirement, alcohol treatment requirement for nine months, and to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Clayton Moore, also of Fforest Hill, Aberdulais, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make a false representation, making a false representation, and four counts of obtaining money transfer by deception. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each count to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months, and 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
Ian Moore, of Main Road in Cilfrew, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make a false representation and two counts of making a false representation. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months, with 15 days rehabilitation requirement and a mental health treatment requirement for 12 months.
Audrey Osborne pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false representation, obtaining money transfer by deception and three charges of making a false representation. She was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out a ten days rehabilitation requirement.
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