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Friday 26 August 2016

Heartless, parasite Jonothan Piper to be jailed for wine investment fraud


Embassy Wine UK Ltd website:
'We have great passion for the product let us share 
the knowledge of wealth and guidance to building 
a portfolio of the most sort after wines. Enabling an attractive 
and healthy return on your investment.' 
 

On Tuesday 23rd August 2016 30-year-old Jonothan Piper admitted at Snaresbrook Crown Court to defrauding his investor clients and HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs).

Piper, who posed as a wine broker, preyed on the elderly and vulnerable – cold calling and persuading them transfer their wine to his company Embassy Wine UK Ltd. Piper charged an advance fee for sales for ‘legal costs’. Once the wine was transferred Piper would become impossible to contact and the duped investor would never receive their promised money.

The fraud netted Piper at least £300,000 with one investor losing £150,000. Another investor, an elderly woman who had already been a victim of World Wide Wines Ltd, was persuaded to buy a further £33,000 worth of wine from Embassy. This included a case of 2004 Haut Brion for £10,000 in 2012, which could have been bought elsewhere for £2400. The salesman claimed it should have cost £12,000! 

Embassy offered to sell her portfolio for £60,000 – charging £20,000 in ‘legal fees’ reimbursable in seven days.   

HMRC was defrauded for £51,104 as Piper failed to declare any income between 2008 and 2014.

Embassy Wines UK Ltd was founded on 28th June 2011. It was wound up in the public interest on 3rd December 2014. Piper was the sole director and shareholder with just £1 of share capital. 
Piper has been jailed on Judges Remand and will be sentenced on 16th September 2016. I hope that Judge Louise Kamill will out Piper away for a good stretch and that Piper will be forced to repay his victims, whose life savings he looted and spent on high living including nearly £90,000 on a BMW X6 and a Range Rover Sport. Piper's expertise lay not as he claimed in fine wine but in trousering his elderly and vulnerable clients' money.  

On 17th November 2015 Piper was banned for being a UK director for 11 years.  
Over the past three years recovery room wine investment/advance fee frauds have become increasingly common. Victims of previous wine investment scam companies are contacted by new firms and offered deals on their wine portfolios at well above market price.
Some companies also make bogus claims to have taken over liquidations from legitimate companies like Grant Thornton and ‘found’ investors missing wines abroad. Invariably investors are again left empty handed.  

It is good to see that some of these heartless fraudsters – vile individuals who exploit vulnerable people – are being prosecuted.    




18 comments:

  1. Jonothan 'FAT JOHN' Piper used to work for Andy 'RUSSIAN BRIDES' Dunne he used to buy a different car every month and always go to McDonalds drive thru on his way home from Canary Wharf

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    1. A different car every month to assist him to travel Countrywide?

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  2. Latest around town Andy Dunne is in Thailand so its not Andy 'Russian Brides' Dune its now Andy 'Ladyboy Brides' Dunne

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  3. Ian Van der Hook has spent a lot of time in Thailand is there a connection

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    1. Edited comment from anon: Ian Van der Hook and Jim Hewitt (now Kennedy-Hewitt) worked together at Bordeaux UK Ltd

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  5. Ian Van der Hook was the director and appeared to be Andrew Dunne's patsy.

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  6. You missed the 'RUSSIAN BRIDES' out of Andy'Russian Brides'Dunne Jim how could you?
    I thought you prided yourself on the accuracy of your blog.

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  8. Anon. Thank you for the reminder – very remiss of me but hasn't Mr Dunne moved to Thailand now, so perhaps too far for Russian brides to commute....?

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  9. Jim with an ego the size of Andy 'RUSSIAN BRIDES' Dunne's the fact that you exposed his problem attracting the opposite sex who don't work for him or receive some form of monetary payment from him must kill him every time you call him Andy 'Russian Brides' Dunne. So please please please don't ever stop. It gives the people he has scammed a little payback.

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  10. Jim your a man with more integrity than me.

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  11. Anon. I will bear in mind that it should be Andy 'Russian Brides' Dunne even if he happens to be in Thailand. Thanks to you for the timely reminder.

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    1. Worth a second look? http://investdrinks-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/andrew-dunne-looking-for-russian-bride.html

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  12. Jim I suggested something a few days ago did you receive this suggestion if so why have you not published

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  13. Thanks Anon. It is under consideration.

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  14. Jim any news on Piper September 16th is long gone

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    1. Anon. Apologies sentence was announced on 30th September but have been busy following Loire harvest etc. Please see here: http://investdrinks-blog.blogspot.fr/2016/10/jail-for-cold-caller-who-scammed.html

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