7:53 am, June 6, 2024
A used car dealer has been accused of running a car cloning gang that specialised in BMWs in a £3m scam.
Peter Clarkson, 46, of Minster-on-Sea, Kent, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court yesterday along with four other men – Dean Barguss, 36, William Dove, 40, James Murphy, 44, and Lee Davey, 33.
Clarkson is said to have masterminded the ‘complex organised crime’ scheme between March 2019 and January 2022, aided by the others, reported Mail Online.
It’s alleged that Clarkson used fake documents to get 114 BMWs at a reduced price from various franchised dealerships.
Dove and Barguss are said to have been contacted by him to allegedly collect the cars’ keys, which were described in court as having been ‘cloned’, while Davey and Murphy are said to have been involved in offloading the luxury vehicles, with some of them going abroad.
Murphy and Clarkson, whose addresses were given as Minster-on-Sea, Kent, and Dove, from Brockley, south-east London, are charged with conspiring to commit fraud by false representation, conspiring to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to conceal criminal property.
Meanwhile, Barguss, of Ashford, Kent, and Davey, of Camberwell, south London, are accused of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and conspiring to steal motor vehicles.
Prosecutor Keshia Denny said Clarkson was the main defendant and that he and Dove worked ‘very closely’ in a ‘complex organised crime’.
The five men, who spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and ages, were bailed to appear at Inner London Crown Court on July 3.
Main image via Google Street View
