A MAN from Basildon has been jailed for his part in a £614,000 money laundering ring which targeted vulnerable and elderly people all over the country.

Philip Montague, 61, of Sandon Road, was found guilty of money laundering offences, including three counts of converting criminal property.

He was one of five men, and four women, found guilty of money laundering offences - while another man and woman had pleaded guilty earlier last year at Hove Crown Court.

Nine of the defendants were sentenced this week.

The offences ivolved elderly and vulnerable people from London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Staffordshire, Sussex, Sheffield, Rugby, Southsea, West Bromwich, Northampton and Middlesex.

The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit’s Regional Fraud Team conducted the lengthy investigation.

The result was that 11 defendants were either found guilty or pleaded guilty to 49 offences - with a total loss of £614,700.

Two are yet to be sentenced.

Montague received a total of £101,000 from one victim. The crime took place in North London between October 13 and November 6, 2014.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Financial Investigator, Julie Thompson, from SEROCU’s Regional Fraud Team, said: “These sentences partially bring to a close, a long and complex investigation, with many of the offences dating back to 2014.

“Without the money launderers, who are prepared to knowingly allow their accounts to be used to launder the proceeds of crime, these abhorrent crimes would not happen.

“I hope these sentences bring some closure to the victims and send out a clear message to offenders that the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit will pursue all those involved in these despicable crimes against the most vulnerable in our community.

“Our next step will be to aim to try and get compensation of the victims, in an attempt to recover the money they have spent a life time working for.

The other eight defendants dealt with this week were: Scott Watkins, 37, of Matlock Road, Coventry, Victoria Abbott, 40, of The Stow, Harlow, Francis O’Rourke, 42, of Broome Road, Wolverhampton. Paul Farn, 53, of Marriott Road, Leicester, Kyle Wright, 23, of Marriott Road, Leicester, Roseanna Sheridan, 48, of no fixed abode, Charlotte Morris, 38-years-old of Essex Close, Kenilworth, Chantelle Hinton 27-years-old, of Burbury Close, Leamington Spa.