Lucien Aubey, the former footballer who had a brief loan spell at Portsmouth in 2008, has been sentenced to two years in prison, with 12 months suspended, after being found guilty of fraud. Aubey, 40, a five-time Congo international, made three Premier League appearances for Portsmouth under manager Harry Redknapp, though he did not play in the team’s FA Cup-winning run. Aubey also had notable stints at Toulouse, Rennes, Reims, and in Turkey and Cyprus during his career.
However, his footballing career has been overshadowed by his involvement in a fraudulent scheme. In 2015, a court in Toulouse found Aubey guilty of scamming a friend, identified only as Sebastien, out of £120,000. Aubey and his co-defendant, Mohamed Dia, convinced Sebastien to invest in a record label, promising a £1 million return within three years. Sebastien, 42, had recently received £170,000 in compensation from a road accident and was persuaded to part with the money.
Unbeknownst to Sebastien, Aubey had been previously declared bankrupt and was legally barred from starting any business ventures. When Sebastien never saw his money again, he went to the police.
In court, Sebastien described the devastating impact the scam had on his life: “I lost everything, and my wife wanted to commit suicide. I had to give up work. We split up, and those two [Aubey and Dia] just had a good laugh about it all.”
Aubey denied any wrongdoing, claiming his funds were tied up in Cyprus with his club Olympiakos Nicosia and that the investment was legitimate. However, prosecutors presented recorded phone conversations between Aubey and Dia, which revealed their fraudulent intent. The court ordered Aubey to repay €145,000 to Sebastien and prohibited him from contacting the victim.
Aubey’s conviction serves as a stark reminder that even those with prominent careers can be involved in criminal activities, leaving their victims devastated.
