Former Premier League star admits bank scam

A former Premier League star has admitted swindling a vulnerable woman out of £2,090 in an online banking fraud.

Nile Ranger, 25, obtained the bank details of Diane Bloss and transferred £2,090.23 from her HSBC account on 18 February last year.

The cash was paid into the Santander bank account of a fourth man who Catherine Rabaioth, prosecuting, described as an ‘innocent third party’.

Dressed in a green bomber jacket and jeans, the former Newcastle Utd striker admitted conspiracy to defraud but denied money laundering when he appeared at Wood Green Crown Court.

The prosecution said they would not be seeking a trial against Ranger on the money laundering charge.

Co-defendants Duncan Aseany, 19, and 18-year-old Reanne Morgan denied the two charges, while Aseany further denied possessing an article for use in fraud relating to the personal banking details of 500 people, stored on a phone.

Listing Morgan and Aseany’s trial for the week beginning 24 April, Judge Peter Ader said: ‘If you don’t come to the trial it could go ahead without you.

‘Without your attendance it maybe that your advocates won’t be able to conduct the case.

‘At that point there’s a very high likelihood no defence, no defendant, that you will lose the case by default.

‘It’s a bit like the other team not turning up for a match – they are going to lose. Do you follow?’

Ranger will be sentenced at the conclusion of Morgan and Aseany’s trial.

His barrister Angus Barrister asked for a pre-sentence report, saying: ‘He has previous convictions, but the most serious of which was 10 years ago now.’

He was granted bail on the condition he does not contact Ms Bloss and he notify his solicitors if he intends to take a holiday.

Ranger signed a new contract at League One outfit Southend Utd on 1 December last year.

He has made 14 appearances so far, scoring three goals.

In 2007, at the age of 15, he was sentenced to 11 weeks in a Young Offenders Institute after he was convicted of involvement in a street robbery in north London.

The former England under-19 international started his career in the Crystal Palace academy, before making the switch to Newcastle in July 2008.

His career has been dogged by controversy, including being forced into a grovelling apology after being pictured holding a gun in May 2011.

Ranger was fined £6,000 by The FA in March 2012 for making string of homophobic comments on Twitter, and attracted criticism for posting a picture of his name spelled out in £20 notes that same year.

He was convicted of assaulting two police officers in October 2012 and given a conditional discharge.

The footballer was cleared of raping a woman in the, Carlton Hotel, in the Jesmond area of Newcastle, after a week long trial in 2014.

Ranger, of Tunnel Gardens, Bounds Green, north London, admitted conspiracy to defraud but denied money laundering.

Morgan, of Dunnock Close, Enfield, north London, denied conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Aseany, of Elmore Road, Enfield, denied the same charges and an additional charge of possessing an article for fraud.

The trio were charged by detectives from FALCON, the Met’s response to Fraud and Linked Crime.

Aseany and Morgan will stand trial in the week beginning 24 April.
ENDS