Stourbridge runaway fraudster locked up

A fraudster who fled to Mexico after conning victims out of around £1.8 million but was caught trying to get into Texas has been jailed along with an accomplice.

Corrupt businessman Greg Whittlestone, from Stourbridge, duped 180 vulnerable victims in a shares selling con through an overseas trading company. But after being arrested in 2008 with Russell Kilshaw, he fled to Mexico while on bail awaiting trial. His luck ran out when he was detained by authorities trying to enter the US and was returned to the UK in July 2009.

Police said the pair were part of a so-called 'boiler room' fraud involving an unauthorised share trading company based overseas.

They offered shares that were overpriced, could often not be sold on and were near worthless.

Kilshaw was one of these people and received approximately £30,000 for his involvement in the fraud over a six-month period.

Whittlestone, aged 30 of Brunswick Gate, was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud and removing criminal property.

Kilshaw, 30, of Wheatsheaf Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, admitted entering into or becoming concerned in money laundering and removing criminal property and was jailed for two and a half years.