MONEY BY FRAUD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18960, 10 March 1936, Page 3

MONEY BY FRAUD

BOGUS INVESTIGATOR

"TALKING TO HIMSELF"

(i MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT

•'Accused is the same man who said he was a secret service agent, who lectured to business men in" Auckland on his alleged experiences, and also broadcast, but who was later discovered to be a fraud," said Detective-Sergeant McHugh in the Auckland Police Court or, Saturday, when Frederick Charles Henry Jenks, aged 37, widower, admitted 24 charges of false pretences. Lt was alleged accused obtained £SO fs from Edward Bull by fraud. Mr. McHugh said that Jenks became associated with Bull in March last, year, and a business was begun, styled •''adjusters, arbitrators, agents, finance and commercial investigators." Jenks was [iaid two weeks' wages, and il was agreed thai, he would thereafter be paid commission. Jenks represented to Bull that he had good connections with local banks and insurance companies, and that he was assured of considerable investigation work on their behalf. Accused claimed that he had been engaged by the manager of the Ocean Insurance Company to investigate a fire loss concerning a house at Waimauku. Jenks was advanced £4 4s as expenses. Subsequently he led Bull to believe thai lie had been engaged on special investigations by I he managers of the Bank of Australasia, the National Bank of New Zealand and the Bank of New South Wales, Accused said these investigations related to the bona fides of depositors at Tatiranga, Thames. Hunt ly. Hamilton, anil Whangarei.

"TALKS" TO HANK MANAGERS Jenks also represented that he had to go to Wellington, and it was his frequent practice to pretend he was telephoning bank managers from Bull's office, and talking guardedly of business. Bull later discovered that Jenks was talking to himself. "Certain messages would often arrive by telephone and be taken by a typist two doors away from Bull's office, always during! Bull's absence," Mr, McHugh continued. "These purported to be requests for Jenks to telephone the bank managers. After the. alleged completion of his bank investigations, Jenks would detail to Bull an elaborate summary of the 'inquiries,' and Bull would draft out the icporl in duplicate al Jenks' dictation. It was Jenks who made out the account, always insisting that he should deliver it and the reports personally because of the confidential nature of the business." ALLEGED ADMISSION BY ACCUSED

Bull alleged he had paid Jenks £SO 7s altogether, in the belief that Jenks was prosecuting the investigations, said Mr. McHugh. On December 23. Bull accused Jenks of obtaining the money by fraud, and Jenks admitted he bad done no work for the banks and the insurance company. Police inquiries confirmed this. Interviewed on February 13 by Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn, ac cused refused to make an explanation until he had seen Bull. "About, October last. Jenks told a couple of Auckland business men that he had brought in hundreds of pounds to the business for the investigations he had. carried out.'-' Mr. McHugib added. Jenks had obtained the bulk of this money from Bull prior lo being put on probation on August 23 for false pretences. Accused bad secured constanl employment recently at £4 7s a week, and had assured Detective Meiklejohn that he was now going to go straight. In sentencing accused to six months' imprisonment, jwith hard labour, the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, mentioned that the probation officer could not recommend probation, and the Bench would not make any opposing direction.