Richard Lester gets five years for a cruise scam costing victims hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Lester pretended to be a “lord” and used the Cruisemiles website, which was a fake website. He conned over 180 people who lived all over the world.
People thought agents secured cheap cruises, but no cruises were ever booked. Victims arrived at harbors, only to be turned away by cruise operators. Their dreams of sailing were ruined.
A jury found Lester guilty on December 17, 2024, of fraudulent trading and hiding dirty money. His sentencing was in February 2025, and he will be in prison for five years.
Beyond prison, Lester received a ban, preventing him from being a company director for nine years. His lifestyle was extravagant, funded by scheming driven by gambling.
Judge Mills spoke harshly to Lester, saying he caused distress and financial loss. Lester blamed victims for their own misfortune.
Lester’s victims planned special cruises, some for birthdays or weddings, and he conned them with elaborate plans. He gambled in poker tournaments and lived a high life in Las Vegas.
Lester ran Cruise Direct UK Ltd, operating from 2009 to 2014. He set up a voucher system where people paid for cruise vouchers early.
He used new funds to pay for old trips. Clients thought they were earning miles, like air miles, but booking rules often changed.
Lester promised cheap cruise deals and even met clients on cruises, recruiting some as agents. Some clients enjoyed initial cruises; the company even won an award in 2012. Later, many had fake cruise confirmations.
Lester used new money to pay old debts and fund his lifestyle and gambling. Customers got refunds after cancellations, but they had to buy more miles anyway, because the cruise needed more miles.
The company shut down suddenly. Customers lost miles worth hundreds, sometimes thousands. Agents invested in miles, and selling more miles earned them commission, but they also had no way to recover money.
Victims reported the scam. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau helped and alerted Essex Police in July 2013.
Investigators found Lester stole over £400,000 in three years. The 184 victims were from many nations, including the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan.
Lester used fake names to avoid capture. He called himself Henry Lester, Les Richards, Lord Lester, Richie Lescovitch, and Barry Williams.