Elie Bumba travelled around brand new Zealand wooing and conference guys he met through different apps that are dating. He then took just what cash, cards as well as other products he could easily get from their website.
It had been a life style of deception and duplicity that earned the Hamilton 22-year-old about $24,000 in illegal takings and, fundamentally, a stint that is 22-month prison.
But their unwitting times had been perhaps not the only real victims of Elie Dongala Bumba’s penchant for pinching cash that don’t fit in with him. Flatmates and also their grandmother that is own became goals. As a whole he swindled or took from 13 individuals or organisations.
Bumba’s tale ended up being revealed at his sentencing within the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday, where he showed up for a raft of costs including causing loss by deception, and employing a document for pecuniary advantage.
The very first of their times ended up being a guy whom he related to through the app that is dating in June 2016. After investing the evening in the guy’s house, Bumba took two debit cards – one individual, one for the guy’s company – and continued a $743 investing spree together with them.
But which was simply the begin.
Utilizing a modus that is similar listed here thirty days, Bumba installed by having an Auckland guy even though at his home took their charge card, which he utilized to help make 98 acquisitions totalling $4846.
The exact same thirty days he discovered another target in Hamilton through Grindr, and took that guy’s bank card from their wallet, that he employed for acquisitions well worth $403.
Early August that year netted a fourth grindr date in Auckland, from who he took another bank card. This time around the spend-up ended up being $1269.
That target became conscious of the transactions that are unauthorised had been unaware it was their intercourse partner, and also the set proceeded to see one another.
In March 2017 that guy went along to the Southern Island and even though he was down there Bumba made acquisitions for a card that is different Auckland, and exposed reports with Vodafone and 2 levels mobile phone, incurring debts in excess of $3000.
He met and took another Auckland target’s card from the bedside dining table in October 2016. Then your month that is following utilized the dating app Hornet to meet up with another victim, who he saw many times throughout the after months.
Bumba swiped US$1100 (about NZ$1645) in money from that guy’s bedside cabinet and got their bank card details. The only purchase was a $20 Vodafone top-up on that occasion.
During the early 2017 still another target had been found. His charge card details had been removed by Bumba and 110 acquisitions of food, phone credit and transportation services totalling $5662 followed – all without utilization of the card that is actual.
In February 2018 Bumba utilized Grindr discover another target. Bumba booked an available space during the Astelia Hotel in Wellington also it ended up being here they came across.
Later, while a shower was being taken by that man, Bumba photographed his motorist’s licence. He later attempted to make use of the important points from that licence to utilize for subscriptions having a motor car leasing service and a credit card. They certainly were declined but applications for Vodafone and 2 levels reports proved much easier to get. He racked up debts in excess of $3000 to them.
Comparable misdeeds were held immediately after, with Bumba’s flatmate in Auckland and that flatmate’s nephew due to the fact victims.
But before Bumba turned to swindling males he cheated their very own grandmother – whom had raised him since he had been eight yrs old – by firmly taking her eftpos card and taking place an investing spree into the tune of $1784 between August and October in 2015.
Their grandmother was at medical center during the time, and just heard bout exactly what took place whenever she got down.
And previous, in February 2015, Bumba and an associate at work obtained a fraudulent loan via GE cash, that was deposited into his Kiwibank banking account.
The lender picked on discrepancies into the loan application and paperwork and a lot of the funds had been came back to GE cash before Bumba along with his buddy had to be able to invest it.
In court, Bumba’s attorney Mark Sturm stated their customer was indeed prepared to be involved in restorative justice conferences along with his victims and had met with one, where he had gotten “a good reaction”.
Sturm additionally alluded to events that are traumatic Bumba’s past which had aided to contour their current circumstances, but these weren’t expanded on in court.
“This defendant hasn’t had it simple in life,” he stated.
As Judge Kim Saunders noted whenever sentencing Bumba, while their history may assist to explain their behavior, it didn’t excuse it.
No target had been available where he could provide a phrase of house or community detention, therefore jail was the sole outcome that is possible.