A man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation and money laundering.
Michael Hizer (25/03/1959) of HMP Thameside has today, Thursday 24 March 2016, been sentenced at Bolton Crown Court to 20 months in prison.
Hizer, who is currently serving a four year prison sentence for VAT fraud, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and money laundering at an earlier hearing.
In March 2013, a website offering tickets for the British and Irish Lions Rugby Tour of Australia was set up at www.rugby-lions-tickets.com. Between 20 March 2013 and 10 June 2013, 59 victims paid a total of £79,627 into Hizer’s bank account thinking they would get tickets but never received them.
Later that year, between August and December, numerous people were cold called and offered the opportunity to invest in shares in a company by putting money into a business bank account held by Hizer. A total of £63,983.92 was paid into the account by 25 victims who received nothing in return.
Detective Constable Andy Devonshire of the Greater Manchester Police Fraud Investigation Team said: “Michael Hizer’s scams were quite different in the tactics used but both were similar in the fact that he preyed on the hopes of people who put their trust in him.
“Whether those hopes were the once in a lifetime experience of travelling to Australia to the British and Irish Lions or people hoping to make themselves a bit of money to make life easier, he saw the opportunity to take people’s hard earned cash from them and didn’t hesitate.
“I hope the sentence passed here today will go some way to giving the people wronged by Hizer some closure.”
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