Hamilton man Patrick Neho jailed for laundering money for scammer based in Kenya

• Patrick Daniel Neho laundered $44,675 for Kenyan scammers, who used fake Facebook profiles to deceive 22 victims nationwide.
• Neho claimed he spent the money on his children, but it funded his meth and gambling habits.
• Judge Garry Collin sentenced Neho to 11 months in prison, citing significant harm to victims and questioning his remorse.

A man fuelled by methamphetamine and gambling addictions joined a group of Kenyan-based scammers to launder more than $40,000 of hard-working Kiwis' money.

Even after admitting 22 laundering charges, Hamilton-based Patrick Daniel Neho's deception continued.

The 44-year-old went on to tell some of his victims he had spent his share of the illegitimate funds to feed his children and "shower" them with gifts.

In reality, it went on drugs and gambling.

Neho, formerly of Northland, laundered $44,675 between July and December 2022 after contacting the Kenyan-based scamming group sometime that year.

While not all the victims' locations were listed in court documents, the ones that were stretched almost the length of the country.

The group of scammers MO was relatively simple.

They created fake Facebook profiles and listed high-value items for sale on Marketplace, including tiny homes and shipping containers.

They then requested a deposit but upon receiving the payment, failed to deliver the goods. None of the victims received anything.

Neho's role was to open bank accounts for the money to be deposited, then send a portion through money transaction services, including WorldRemit and Skrill.

Police discovered Neho transferred $12,011 and US$59 (NZ$102) through his Skrill account, and $10,308 into Kenyan dollars through WorldRemit.

When spoken to by police, he confirmed the group was based in Kenya.

One victim transferred $3500 for a portable cabin listed for sale on the Pukekohe community board, into a BNZ account under Neho's name.

Another transferred $2250 - half of the total value - for a 20-foot shipping container to be shipped to Whakatāne.

But neither arrived.

This continued, either with promises of a cabin, tiny home, 4x4 motorbike, office pod, trailers, sleepout pods or shipping containers.

The victims often paid half the required amount as a deposit.

'Deliberate act of pure heartlessness'

At Neho's recent sentencing in Hamilton District Court, Judge Garry Collin said the victim impact statements "make for sober reading".

Victim, Shane, said he tried to view the shipping container before the sale but was only shown photos.

"I have zero mercy for the offender and this has caused financial stress," adding he owned a small business and needed the money.

"We want our money back."

Jack, said he "felt pretty stupid because it seems obvious now that it was a scam but I just trusted that he was an honest guy".

"All I want is my money back."

However, Rebekah was left heartbroken and angry.

She had paid for a tiny home after her house burnt down and she lost all her possessions in the blaze.

"This was a deliberate act of pure heartlessness.

"I do not want an apology ... you are nothing but disgusting."

Rebekah said she was desperate and homeless at the time she saw the post on Marketplace.

"We were destitute and homeless due to a lack of housing.

"Even motels would not allow us [in].

"So for you to have done this ... was to take advantage of the hard times people were, and are, still going through due to a lack of housing."

Tom said he and his family of three were living in a caravan and put a deposit on a container to extend their home.

"$1500 is a huge loss for us because we only get part-time employment around our village."

'He is sincerely remorseful'

Defence counsel Elise Saunders asked Judge Collin to impose a home detention sentence given he was remorseful and had complied with his electronically-monitored bail.

He had also completed a parenting course while in custody and attended a restorative conference with some victims.

"This is someone who is sincerely remorseful."

However, Judge Collin was not convinced.

"One problem with the restorative justice report is that he does not appear to have been entirely truthful to the victims and painted himself as someone who was in need, and the offending was based on need."

Judge Collin explained that Neho had told the victims that the money had gone to his family "because you liked to shower your children with gifts like a parent should be able to do".

However, he told a pre-sentence (PAC) report writer that he was using meth and had a gambling habit.

"You said you were using $150 weekly playing pokies and described yourself as an avid gambler," the judge said.

"To me, looking at the PAC report you were not buying presents and food, but meth and gambling.

"He didn't say that to any of the victims."

Saunders said she accepted Neho did not admit the drug aspect.

"His priorities were clearly not there at the time."

While his offending "started off fairly innocent in his head, he should have stepped back as soon as he realised it was getting more and more, essentially, dodgy", Saunders said.

The "unfortunate" aspect of going to prison for a short term meant he would not get the opportunity to undertake any intervention, or rehabilitation programmes, she said.

"I do believe he is going to get a job ... he has a maintenance background and can put money aside for victims even if reparation is not ordered to the full extent."

If not home detention, she suggested intensive supervision as another sentencing alternative.

'It is difficult to comprehend the harm caused'

Judge Collin called Neho out on his suggestion he had offended to help his kids.

"The offending was motivated by your gambling and meth addiction rather than any true desire or attempt to look after your children.

"None of them were in your care.

"I take your letter of remorse and expression of remorse in the RJ report with a large grain of salt."

Judge Collin said if he had received the victim impact statements before issuing Neho a sentence indication, he would likely have given him a harsher sentence.

"I would have made the starting point a lot higher, more in the region of two years than 15 months."

While the odds of Neho repaying any of the victims were "low", as he would likely remain on a benefit for a "long time", the judge ordered reparation anyway.

"The victims all continue to be out of pocket and it's likely to be something that is never righted.

"I am not willing to give you any discount for remorse because I do not believe that it's genuine."

After allowing 25 percent discount for his plea, he jailed Neho for 11 months, declining his bid for home detention.

"It's difficult to get around the harm that you have done to people, and the views of the victims ought to be given some weight.

"This was a carefully planned, persistent, series of offences that have done a lot of harm."

-This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.