Ex-Premier League Defender Lucien Aubey Jailed For Fraud After Scamming Friend Out Of Over £120,000

A former Premier League defender has been sentenced to prison for fraud after deceiving his friend out of over £120,000.

Lucien Aubey, 40, received a two-year jail term, with 12 months suspended, from a court in Toulouse, France.

He made three Premier League appearances for Portsmouth during the 2007-08 season, when the club won the FA Cup under Harry Redknapp.

In addition to earning five caps for Congo, Aubey played for Toulouse, Rennes, and Reims, as well as clubs in Turkey and Cyprus.

Aubey and his co-accused, clothing designer Mohamed Dia, allegedly convinced a man identified only as Sebastien, 42, that he would earn £1 million within three years.

However, Aubey has now been found guilty of fraud for persuading his friend to invest in the creation of a record label.

The individual had also previously received a £170,000 payout following a road accident.

Aubey had previously been declared bankrupt and banned from setting up a company, while Sebastien, a shoe repairer, went to the police but never recovered his investment.

He accused Aubey of threatening to harm his children after demanding repayment.

Sebastien, 42, said: ‘I lost everything, and my wife wanted to commit suicide. I had to give up work. ‘We split up, and those two [Aubey and Dia] just had a good laugh about it all.’

Aubey told the court: ‘My money was tied up in Cyprus, held by my club Olympiakos Nicosia. This wasn’t a fraud – I never robbed anyone.’

Prosecutors were able to present phone conversations between the ex-footballer and Dia, which showed their intent to defraud Sebastien.

On Monday, the court ordered Aubey to repay €145,000 and prohibited him from contacting his victim, while Dia was sentenced to a one-year suspended jail term for his involvement.