Man on the run from NI prison jailed for fraud in US

A man on the run from a prison in County Londonderry has been jailed in the US for his role in a "travelling conman fraud group" that netted more than 1 million US dollars (£763k).

Elijah Gavin, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison at the US District Court in Providence, Rhode Island on Tuesday.

Between 2022 and 2025 he and the group scammed a number of people including a widow in Rhode Island who paid them $850,000 (£650k), by posing as legitimate contractors.

Gavin is currently listed as being "unlawfully at large" from HMP Magilligan on the Northern Ireland Department of Justice's website after he had been released on temporary compassionate release.

He then used a false travel authorisation application to gain entry into the United States in 2022 without a visa.

His application contained false information about his criminal history in Northern Ireland, which includes charges of fraud by false representation, grievous bodily harm, burglary and theft, burglary with intent to steal, and possession of a Class B substance.

While in the US he used various aliases to approach property owners.

As well as the widow he and the group also targeted other elderly victims in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and a church in New York.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) say "Conmen travellers" are groups of Irish or United Kingdom nationals who enter the US and travel from place to place soliciting construction work.

They often quote a low price, and later demand much more money or convince the owners that their homes or businesses need major repairs.

And they often hire day labourers, lack work authorisation documents, do low-quality or unnecessary work, and sometimes damage properties, the FBI say.

Gavin has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in New Jersey on 29 January.

In June, he pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and making a false statement on a document used to gain entry into the US.

As well as his prison sentence he has been ordered to to make $1.1m (£841k) in restitution.