A money launderer who handled cheques and cash from “mean” scams targeted against vulnerable and elderly residents in Kent has been jailed.

Vincenzo Gimigliano appeared before Inner London Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of money laundering worth £100,000.

He dealt with 10 cheques and one money transfer between September 2010 and August 2011 which were credited into his bank accounts.

The scams had been targeted at elderly residents in the Tovil area of Maidstone and the Willesborough area of Ashford.

Gimigliano’s part in the scams was exposed following a probe by officers from the National Trading Standards Tri Region Scambuster Team.

They found that despite having doubts about the source of the money, Gimigliano asked no questions about where the money was from.

He originally claimed the cash was from gambling associates for settling losses, but it had in fact come from seven scams across Kent, Surrey and London, with the victims in their 60s and 70s.

“Gimigliano assisted criminals who had targeted vulnerable consumers by accepting and cashing cheques from a variety of sources. He turned a blind eye to their suffering" - Clive Phillips

Kent’s Trading Standards led the prosecution in court yesterday, where Gimigliano, from Oxfordshire, was ordered to pay £35,000 in compensation.

Trading standards operations manager Clive Phillips said: “Although it is not always possible to identify principal offenders we will always follow the money and take action against those who choose to conceal the ill-gotten gains of doorstep criminals.

“Gimigliano assisted criminals who had targeted vulnerable consumers by accepting and cashing cheques from a variety of sources. He turned a blind eye to their suffering.”

Judge Tudor Owen has sentenced Gimigliano to 14 months in prison. He said: “A number of elderly victims were cheated and deceived for work that was either not needed or charged at exorbitant amounts.

“This is not only criminal but mean offending. You acted for a series of people and they came to you because of the service you offered them. You chose to do it. The criminality of money laundering cannot be underestimated. This is a serious matter.”