Man from Southwick who ran multiple company scams jailed for 12 years

The owner of Olympia Mayfair, and National Gold Buyers, James Charles, 49, has been jailed for 12 years after running an extensive fraud operation through his companies.

Over two years between August 2022 and 2024, Charles, also known as James Goatley, scammed numerous victims out of over £1.2 million. 

Charles set up an elaborate scam to con his victims by posing his company Olympia Mayfair as an established specialist service for reselling and repairing high-value jewellery, watches, and precious metals. 

He went to extensive lengths to ensure that his company was listed on a trusted website and paid search engines significant sums to search engines so that Olympia Mayfair would rank highly in search results to deceive prospective victims into a false sense of security and encouraging more visitors to the site.

Visitors to the website were encouraged to complete a pre-service questionnaire which required them to detail the valuable items they were looking to resell or have repaired.

Charles then contacted the victims and arranged to meet them. He rented an office space to increase the perceived legitimacy of his scam, but met some victims at their homes. 

At the in person meeting, Charles would manipulate the victims into handing over their items under the guise of an understanding that they would be reimbursed once the items were sold or repaired with Charles taking only a small fee as commission.

The scam was realised after many of the victims received only a small fraction of the promised reimbursement, or no reimbursement at all after their items were sold despite Charles' promises. 

Following dozens of reports of Charles' fraudulent business model, he was arrested on 11 February 2024. 

Due to the significant volume of victims coming forward, he was placed on bail while officers conducted extensive enquiries. 

Charles showed no remorse for his crimes and swiftly returned to his offending, setting up a new company, National Gold Buyers to defraud further victims. 

Six months later, he was arrested again on 30 August 2024.

A significant and complex investigation conducted by the Sussex Police Economic crime unit resulted in Charles initially being charged with 24 counts of fraud by false representation and two counts of money laundering offences connected to both companies on 27 February this year. 

The charges were subsequently amalgamated into four counts of fraudulent trading following further legal hearings.

Charles was remanded into custody ahead of his trial which was due to take place for six weeks commencing on 5 October.

However, on 12 October, he pleaded guilty to the four counts of fraudulent trading, and the following day Charles was also convicted of the same offences by the jury.

During the trial, it was ordered by the judge that the two money laundering offences will lie on the file.

Charles was returned to custody to await sentencing. 

It can now be reported that Charles had committed a further fraudulent trading offence and one count of fraud by false representation relating to two more companies, Kingsley & Co Private Trader Ltd and Richmond & Sterling Ltd, set up by Charles while he was under investigation. 

In total including the offences linked to the two extra companies, Charles scammed his victims out of over £2 million. 

The additional offences were taken into consideration during sentencing. 

James Charles 49, of Roman Crescent, Southwick, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday 12 November and was jailed for 12 years. 

Detective Constable Graham Gray, the officer in charge of the investigation, said: "The scale of harm Charles has caused to numerous victims cannot be understated. 

"Charles' crimes were premeditated, prolific and unremorseful, taking the opportunity to continue offending through multiple new companies as soon as he was able.

"His victims have suffered not just a financial loss, but a devastating emotional impact as a result of his manipulation.

"Today's sentencing reflects the expanse and severity of Charles' offending and the significant impact on his victims."

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