A Dundee scammer used bounced cheques to get his hands on vehicles and left online sellers out of pocket.
Ryan Lawson would later lie repeatedly to police about his true identity when he was quizzed about driving without insurance.
Lawson – also known as Ryan McPhee – has finally been sentenced more than six years after charges were first brought against him.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the 34-year-old used a dodgy chequebook linked to two other convicted fraudsters.
Cupar con
On March 29 2018, David Allan was contacted by “Ryan Saunders” through Gumtree about buying a Hyundai Coupe Atlantic and the pair met at Cupar Railway Station.
Lawson showed him a business card and a chequebook in the name of RSS Car Sales.
He signed a cheque for £700 in front of Mr Allan, who could make out the letters ‘R’ and ‘S’ on the signature.
Fiscal depute Lissie Cook said: “The witness put the cheque into his bank account but received a letter on April 9 saying the cheque had bounced due to the account being closed.
“He tried to contact the accused with the number provided but the number was no longer connected.”
A police national computer check showed the vehicle was registered to “Ryan Saunders” and was listed to a new-build address in Broughty Ferry without the resident’s knowledge.
The vehicle was reported stolen but not recovered.
Duped in Douglas
Weeks later, on April 25, Lawson struck again after offering to buy for £1,000 a vehicle from a woman in the Douglas area of Dundee.
Ewelina Mlynarska also provided two brand-new tyres as part of the deal, again arranged via Gumtree.
The cheque for £1,000 was in the name of “Mr W Stewart” and later bounced.
He would repeatedly cancel calls made by Ms Mlynarska and the brazen crook later tried to sell the same car on Gumtree for £500.
Lawson, of Clifden Blue Court, previously admitted forging signatures on cheques.
Further crimes
He also admitted driving without insurance and attempting to pervert the course of justice on June 5 2019 by claiming he was “Paul Adamson”
Five days later, he committed the same offence by offering the same name.
On February 27 2023, Lawson was released on bail and ordered to routinely sign on at the West Bell Street headquarters but failed to do so on “multiple” occasions.
He first appeared in court in connection with the crimes in April 2019 but repeatedly failed to return.
Cash cost
Solicitor Alexandra Short claimed the chequebook was connected to William Stewart and Ronald Saunders, who embarked on a Scotland-wide spending spree using bogus cheques before being jailed in 2015.
“RSS Car Sales was the business he was employed by under Ronald Saunders who is now dead,” Ms Short said.
“He (Lawson) bought the cars to use for his new business.
“It appears to be a period of time where he was making a lot of silly mistakes.
“He was aware the cheques would sometimes work and sometimes they wouldn’t.”
Ms Short said Lawson now has a business sub-contracting in the construction industry, which turns over around £4,000 per month.
Lawson, who lives with his parents, claimed to have no savings but wished to pay compensation to his victims.
As an alternative to custody, Sheriff John Raffety ordered him to pay £1,700 in compensation as well as fines totalling £1,900 and placed him on a four-month curfew.
Lawson – who was locked up for 30 months in 2017 after being convicted of serious domestic violence and was jailed for eight months in 2013 for wilful fireraising – was banned from driving for nine months.
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