Career Mock Police ‘Inspector Browne’ pleads guilty to 3 counts of deception

Career Conman Iso Lynch is back behind bars.

And it should come as little or no surprise that he posed as a police officer in executing his elaborate schemes.{{more}}

Lynch, a resident of Layou, was hauled before the Kingstown Magistrates Court on Monday, February 15, and charged with three counts of deception between January 29 and February 1, 2010. Lynch was found guilty of all three charges and the matter was sent on to the High Court for sentencing.

On January 29, Lynch, posing as “Inspector Browne”, went to the home of Nelson Wall of Arnos Vale and told him that he used to work at the Rapid Response Unit and now works in the office of the Commissioner of Police.

Lynch then asked Wall if he was interested in obtaining a firearm license and Wall said yes. Lynch told Wall that he would need $50 from him to purchase the application form. Wall willingly conceded to Lynch’s demand.

The following day, January 30, Lynch organised to meet with Wall in town so that he could go to Roger’s Photo Studio and have two passport size pictures taken to process the fictitious firearm license.

Wall followed Lynch’s instructions. The court heard that Lynch also told Wall that the license would cost him $1,000 but Wall indicated that he only had $850 with him at the time. Lynch, of course, took his money.

The notorious conman’s trickery did not end there. On February 1, Lynch rented a vehicle and went to pick up Wall so that they could hang out in Mesopotamia. While there, Lynch met with Malcolm Knights of Dorsetshire Hill and introduced himself as “Inspector Browne”.

The con artist told Knights that he had knowledge that he (Knights) had recently applied for a firearm license but was turned down. “Inspector Browne” then offered to help Knights obtain that license. Lynch managed to trick Knights into giving him $50 to buy license stamps. He then requested another $700 to pay for the license but Knights did not have the money and told Lynch to return the following day.

On his return, Lynch changed the figure from $700 to $1000 for the license. By this time, Knights became suspicious and told Lynch to return the following day at 5pm to collect the money.

Knights then contacted the police about the matter and when Lynch showed up the next day for the $1,000 he was nabbed by the lawmen.

Under caution about the matters, Lynch said: “Is gun license he wants, so I give it him.”

Lynch’s prowess as a conman has made him a well-known figure in and around St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In 2002, when Lynch was 21, he was given a three-month prison sentence for dishonestly obtaining $600 from George John, a mechanic of Glen.

At that time, Lynch posed as a member of the Coast Guard and told John they had a fibre-glass boat for sale at the cost of EC$600.

Lynch then used the man’s phone and pretended to call Lieutenant James of the Coast Guard to accomplish his unlawful act. After indicating the boat was still available for sale, John transported Lynch to the Coast Guard Base at Calliaqua.

Lynch promised John that delivery would be made, but Lynch was not seen or heard of again until John coincidentally met him at Little Tokyo days after. When asked to provide the money or the boat, Lynch could do neither.

In 1999, Lynch was placed on a bond for one year after he committed a similar offence.