A man has been sentenced for his role in a mobile home scam that defrauded elderly victims of more than £500,000 over a seven-year period. Nevada Smith, 46, from Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of fraud by false representation at Leicester Crown Court. He was sentenced to seven years and seven months in prison.
Smith’s fraudulent activities occurred between 2012 and 2019 at three mobile home parks owned by his family. He specifically targeted individuals looking to downsize, selling them mobile homes he did not own. In addition to the fraudulent sales, Smith also purchased mobile homes from some victims without providing the payments they were owed.
To bolster his scheme, Smith enlisted the help of Peter Tomlinson, 67, who acted as a fake buyer to convince victims to sell their homes. When victims began to express concerns about the legitimacy of the transactions, Smith resorted to intimidation, threatening those who questioned him.
One victim described the emotional toll of Smith’s actions, stating, “I felt extremely vulnerable and powerless with Nevada’s constant harassing and intimidating behaviour… I was terrified, actually fearing for my life.” The victim, aged 72 at the time, reported suffering significant emotional distress due to Smith’s threats and harassment.
Tomlinson, who pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation, received an eight-month suspended sentence and is required to complete 122 hours of unpaid work.
Leicestershire Police confirmed that all funds have been returned to the victims, highlighting the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from such scams. This case serves as a reminder of the lengths some will go to exploit the elderly and the devastating impact of financial fraud.