Elie Bumba travelled around brand new Zealand wooing and conference guys he met through different dating apps. He then took just what cash, cards along with other products he could easily get from their website.
It absolutely was 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 maybe not the sole victims of Elie Dongala Bumba’s penchant for pinching cash that didn’t fit in with him. Flatmates and also their own grandmother became their objectives. As a whole he stole or swindled from 13 individuals or organisations.
Bumba’s story ended up being revealed at his sentencing when you look at the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday, where he appeared on a raft of fees including loss that is causing deception, and employing a document for pecuniary benefit.
Initial of their times ended up being a man whom he linked to through the dating application Grindr in June 2016. After spending the evening during the guy’s house, Bumba took two debit cards – one individual, one for the guy’s company – and continued a $743 investing spree using them.
But which was simply the start.
Employing a similar modus operandi the next thirty days, Bumba installed having an Auckland guy and even though at their home took their charge card, which he utilized which will make 98 acquisitions totalling $4846.
The month that is same discovered another target in Hamilton through Grindr, and took that guy’s charge card from their wallet, that he useful for acquisitions well worth $403.
Early August that year netted A grindr that is fourth date Auckland, from who he took another bank card. This time around the spend-up ended up being $1269.
That target became alert to the transactions that are unauthorised had been unaware it was their intercourse partner, plus the set proceeded to see one another.
In March 2017 that guy decided to go to the Southern Island even though he was down there Bumba made purchases for a different card in Auckland, and exposed records with Vodafone and 2 levels mobile phone, incurring debts in excess of $3000.
He came across and took another Auckland target’s card from the bedside table in 2016 october. Then your month that is following utilized the dating app Hornet to meet up another target, who he saw many times throughout the after months.
Bumba swiped US$1100 (about NZ$1645) in cash from that guy’s bedside drawer and got their bank card details. On that event the sole purchase had been a $20 Vodafone top-up.
During the early 2017 still another target had been situated. Their bank card details had been disassembled by Bumba and 110 acquisitions of meals, phone credit and transportation services totalling $5662 followed – all without utilization of the card that is actual.
In 2018 Bumba used Grindr to find another victim february. Bumba booked space during the Astelia resort in Wellington also it had been here they came across.
Later, while a shower was being taken by that man, Bumba photographed their motorist’s licence. He later attempted to make use of the main points from that licence to try to get subscriptions by having a motor blk hookup car rental service and credit cards. They certainly were declined but applications for Vodafone and 2 levels records proved more straightforward to get. He racked up debts of greater than $3000 in it.
Comparable misdeeds occurred right 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 grandmother that is own had raised him since he had been eight years old – by firmly taking her eftpos card and happening a investing spree towards the tune of $1784 between August and October in 2015.
Their grandmother was at medical center during the right time, and just heard bout just what took place whenever she got down.
And earlier, in February 2015, Bumba and an associate at work obtained a fraudulent loan via GE cash, that has been deposited into their Kiwibank bank-account.
The lender picked through to discrepancies into the application for the loan 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 said their customer was in fact ready to be involved in restorative justice conferences together with victims together with met with one, where he had gotten “a large reaction”.
Sturm also alluded to terrible activities in Bumba’s past which had assisted to contour their current circumstances, however these are not 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 back ground might make it possible to explain their behavior, it would not excuse it.
No address had been available where he could provide a phrase of house or community detention, therefore jail was really the only feasible outcome.
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