AN apparent serial fraudster waits in custody to face nine charges, laid by a Richards Bay motor dealership.
The total amount involved is close to a million rand, according to charge sheets.
Craig William Mallen (43) will again appear in the Richards Bay Regional Court on 8 November after he was refused bail on 5 October and the matter was deferred for further investigation.
It is alleged Mallen, an independent used car trader, sourced and sold the complainant’s vehicles but deposited the payments into his personal bank account.
Six of the charges relate to fraud and three to theft of motor vehicle, with individual amounts reaching as high as R196 000 for a single alleged charge.
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He was arrested in Mtunzini after his photograph was circulated on social media.
Mallen is no stranger to the justice system, having been charged for similar allegations in many parts of the country.
Although numerous cases were withdrawn, presumably after complainants were refunded, his track record shows several previous convictions, dating back over a decade (place and case numbers referenced):
• Pietermaritzburg CAS 312/03/1994
• Lyttleton CAS 600/03/1994
• Springs CAS 136/06/1996
• Sandton CAS 591/12/2004
• Midrand CAS 223/01/2005
• Sandton CAS 799/02/2005
• Bulwer CAS 41/02/2010
• Randburg CAS 367/10/2012
Sentences ranged from correctional supervision to as much as eight years imprisonment.
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