A man has been charged with fraud and money laundering after offences targeting 34 victims.

Newhaven resident George Wickens, 23, was charged after offences in Stevenage, as well as in St Albans, Surrey, Sussex, Devon and London.

Wickens, of Iveagh Crescent, was charged with

1. conspiracy to commit fraud by making a false representation and
2. conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer or remove criminal property.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court yesterday. He is set to appear in Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, April 30.

The crimes took place between October 2013 and April 2014 when victims were told their neighbours’ properties had been flooded with raw sewage coming from under the victims’ homes.

They were told the flooding required specialist equipment to be hired and they would need to pay a returnable deposit.

Read more: http://bit.ly/1wD46Sm