A Leicester man has been jailed for fraud involving one stolen sports car, and handling another which had also been stolen.
Richard Christopher (26), of Trigo Close, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, admitted the charges when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court. He was jailed for 32 months.
The fraud involved a Porsche Cayman worth £25,000 which had been stolen in a burglary in Berkshire, and was given a false identity.
Christopher sold it for £13,950 to two innocent members of the public from south London – who were arrested when they tried to register it. They were subsequently treated as victims of a crime.
When Leicestershire Police raided Christopher's home in September 2011, they found a key to an Audi A6 which had been stolen from Blaby less than two weeks earlier, and documents which suggested Christopher had been involved in creating a cloned identity for the Porsche.
Pc Dave Wadsworth investigated the case. He said: "It was a long and complex investigation into a sophisticated fraud, which was hindered by the fact Christopher refused to answer any questions.
"This highlights the fact that fraudulent car sales can leave victims many thousands of pounds out of pocket and are ultimately the ones who will lose out as a stolen car will always be returned to its rightful owner.
"Members of the public should take reasonable steps to prove that a second-hand car is genuine, and is owned by the person who is selling it."
