Fraudster jailed for 12 years after scamming £2m in watches and jewellery from victims

The 49-year-old, of Roman Crescent, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court after admitting four counts of fraudulent trading.

Using the assumed name James Goatley, Charles operated through a network of sham businesses, most prominently Olympia Mayfair, alongside National Gold Buyers, Kingsley & Co Private Trader Ltd, and Richmond & Sterling Ltd.

His scheme, which ran between August 2022 and 2024, duped 31 victims into surrendering valuable jewellery, watches and precious metals under false pretences.

Olympia Mayfair posed as a reputable dealer specialising in the resale and repair of luxury jewellery, watches and precious metals.

Charles poured substantial sums into online advertising and search engine optimisation to ensure the company appeared credible and ranked prominently in results, luring prospective clients into a false sense of trust.

Visitors to the polished website were asked to complete a questionnaire about items they wished to sell or have repaired.

Charles would then arrange face-to-face meetings, frequently in rented office spaces designed to project legitimacy, though some took place at victims’ homes.

He persuaded clients to part with their valuables, promising reimbursement minus a modest commission — yet many received a pittance or nothing whatsoever.

The emotional toll on victims was profound. Amanda Liu, who entrusted Charles with two luxury Patek Philippe watches and remains without one of them, said: “Losing that amount means that we need to start from scratch again, so it is hard work.”

Alexandru Moisii described a “serious emotional impact” that drove him to seek therapy for depression, adding: “This crime has completely changed my life and I am still dealing with the consequences every single day.”

Martin Jukes said the experience left him feeling “worthless” and unable to trust anyone.

Kevin Amphlett said: “What James did has taken this away from me and has ruined the rest of my life.”

Adam Charzynski called it “a deeply violating experience,” describing “sleeplessness, irritability and difficulty concentrating.”

Charles has a lengthy criminal record. Prosecutor Anthony Hucklesby highlighted a “striking similarity” between the latest offences and an incident in 1999 when Charles visited a vulnerable elderly woman’s home and took antique furniture.

In 2013, he received a six-year sentence for theft and fraud involving a comparable jewellery scheme.

Judge Martin Griffith branded him a “practised and inveterate fraudster,” noting: “You took goods and sold them… continued to fob off the owners with lies, stories about difficulties with bank accounts.”

Even after his first arrest in February 2024, Charles swiftly launched National Gold Buyers and resumed offending while on bail, leading to a second arrest in August of that year.

Detective Constable Graham Gray, who spearheaded the investigation, said: “Charles’ crimes were premeditated, prolific and unremorseful, taking the opportunity to continue offending through multiple new companies as soon as he was able.”

He added that victims had suffered not merely financial losses but “a devastating emotional impact” from Charles’s manipulation.

Charles initially faced 24 counts of fraud by false representation and two money laundering charges, later consolidated into four fraudulent trading counts.

He will serve up to half his sentence before release on licence and has been barred from acting as a company director for ten years from his release date.