Heartless romance fraudster ordered to pay back over £30k
A romance fraudster who conned his victim into borrowing money and handing over her savings has been ordered to pay back over £32,000 of the stolen money.
Kye Hughes, 35, met his victim on a dating app and flashed a seemingly lavish lifestyle which he claimed came from a background as an actor, singer and investing in luxury watches.
After being sentenced to a 40-month jail term at Maidstone Crown Court in October 2023, the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division began proceedings to deprive Hughes of his ill-gotten gains.
Hughes convinced his victim into giving him her savings, as well as taking out high-interest loans and borrowing from her parents, to invest in a high-return scheme. He kept taking more and more from the victim, telling her that she was being threatened by a fictional third party, who would turn up at her house if she did not keep handing over money. Even after the relationship ended, Hughes continued to request money in this way for almost a year.
Having heard about his total criminal benefit the Judge determined that he only had £32,144 left available assets to pay a Confiscation Order or face the possibility of spending 12 months extra in prison for non-payment. The Judge also made a Compensation Order in that amount to be paid to the victim. Should he be found to have any additional assets in the future the CPS will be able to take him back to court, until the total criminal benefit has been paid back to the victim.
Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said: “Romance fraud is a cruel deception that preys on the unique trust and vulnerability that exists in intimate relationships.
“Kye Hughes manipulated the victim, stealing from her, threatening her and leaving her with debt and unimaginable stress.
“The CPS will always use the powers available to ensure crime does not pay, depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains and ensuring where we can that monies are repaid to the victim.”
In the last five years, 2019 to 2024, £450 million has been recovered from CPS obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot profit from their offending. £88 million of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.
Notes to editors
- Kye Hughes (DOB: 05/07/1989) was issued with a Confiscation Order for £32,144 to be repaid by way of compensation by 24/12/2024. If the defendant fails to repay the full balance within this time, then a default sentence of 12 months can be imposed
- Hughes consented that if money is recovered in the future, he consents to it being paid to the victim
- Adrian Foster is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, which is part of the CPS Serious Economic Organised and International Directorate (SEOCID)
- Where a defendant refuses to pay their Confiscation Order in a timely way, CPS Proceeds of Crime Division can invite the court to impose an additional default sentence on them of up to 14 years' imprisonment. The full debt continues to be in force until it is paid, and interest is charged against it at the civil judgement debt rate, currently 8%
- Where they are found to have additional available assets in the future, the CPS may ask the court to revisit the order and make an additional Confiscation Order up to the value of their full criminal benefit