DERICK COLES
Six years in jail for $4 million fraud.
Now released and deported to the UK.

As of June 2020, Mr David Farrow has taken over the ownership and running of this website.
Derick Coles arrest mugshot 1
(Arrest mugshot)

Ordered to pay full restitution of $4m but his victims have not seen a penny!

October 2017, the UK Foreign Office confirms deported to the UK.

We haven't gone away - we want our money back!

Coles has a home near Puerto Banus Spain
June 2020
David Farrow has received information that Derick Coles and his family own a property near Puerto Banus Spain. If anyone has any information regarding this property please advise David through the web site email link so that we may seize the property and have funds available for the victims restitution fund.

February 2019
Living in luxury Coles is now discovered by one of his victims.
Coles' new luxury home.
Luxury apartments
Overlooking the sea.
He claims to be broke but this is
Derick Coles' new home.
Derick Coles was deported back to the UK in October 2017 by ICE after serving his prison sentence in the US. He had gone to ground and no one was able to find him, he must have thought he was safe from his victims in his new hideout, but David Farrow, who previously pursued Coles to Cyprus, has found him again, living in a fancy UK apartment.

David paid him a surprise visit on Tuesday 19th February 2019.
Coles at the door of his luxury appartment
When asked how he was paying the rent on his luxury apartment he refused to answer the question. We believe that Coles may have bought the apartment with our stolen money but put the deeds into the name of a friend we know of so his victims couldn't seize it back. He complained that he cannot travel to see his family in the US because as a convicted felon he is not allowed back in. It would seem he is more concerned about his travel restrictions that paying back the money he stole. 

Request for information
If you have any relevant information please
your details will remain confidential.

The Coles continue to live the high life, but make no attempt to re-pay the money stolen from their victims.

He may have lost it all in the crash of 2008, having illegally invested our money in his property company . This does not release him from his obligations to repay his debt.

The Coles hail from the Lymington area of Hampshire. We are aware of them having connections to the Broadmead area of Sway, and Barnes Lane near Pennington, where they used to have property and live before moving to the USA, or perhaps a guesthouse B&B in Brockenhurst that we are aware of. He also has connections to Leeds in West Yorkshire.

It's likely that Coles had been planning his scam for some time and stashing the money he stole in bank accounts, and real asset, some will probably be sheltered in the name of other people and difficult to trace. His victims would appreciate any assistance offered to find these remaining assets.

Sentenced to six and and half years

On Feb 6th 2012 US Magistrate Judge Whittemore sentenced Derick Coles, who pleaded guilty, to six and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release. The Judge denied a request from the defense counsel to have Coles "self report" to prison and remanded him to the custody of the US Marshall's Service. Expecting another thirty days of freedom, and visibly shaken, Coles was immediately taken into his cell to await transfer to prison. Until then he will stay locked up in one of the local county jails.

The judge further imposed a $15,000 fine; restitution to the victims in the amount of $4,232,621.30; a forfeiture judgment of $530,000 and a special assessment of $200. Once Coles is released he is prohibited from working in a field involving immigration or investment type work.

Coles spoke and apologized to the victims that were present but even the judge felt this was not sincere and the victims present echoed that sentiment.

In his sentencing the judge called Coles' crime "one of the most heinous" and noted that "he stole and destroyed dreams". The victim's show of solidarity was evident and as the prosecutor noted, this was the biggest showing of victims in a fraud case he has ever seen.

The crime was discovered by his victims three years previously when overnight he closed down his Sarasota based US Immigration company and fled to Northern Cyprus where he went into hiding.

With his victims breathing down his neck he was forced to return back to the US to face justice. The US Secret Service, and the US Immigration Customs & Enforcement agencies investigated the case and ensured that Coles was eventually arrested and sentenced.

Myself together with all of Coles' victims would like to thank the US Secret Service and the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency for their untiring efforts in bringing the case to a conclusion. I would also like to thank several 'others' that contributed information which was extremely helpful in keeping track of Coles' traveling whereabouts and the eventual location of his arrest close to Atlanta Georgia.

Although Coles is now out of Jail the story is not finished, he was ordered to pay full restitution and we still want our money back.

There may be others involved either directly or by collusion and they will be receiving close attention from all concerned.

Guilty plea

On Friday October 28th 2011 Derick Coles entered a plea agreement of guilty. It was officially submitted in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday Nov 2nd 2011.

He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of immigration fraud in connection with his scheme that ultimately defrauded his victims and the US government.

Why one count? All his victims have been counted in this plea agreement and for sentencing purposes every dollar he stole from the victims and their families will count. The total exceeds $4 million dollars.

That one count carried a maximum of 20 years in prison, and in the US system it would make no difference if he was charged one count or 20 counts, it is the total financial loss that is taken into consideration at sentencing.

Having entered a plea of guilty Coles did not go to trial but straight to sentencing.

The Crime
Derick Coles owner of New Horizons Group, his UK and Sarasota Florida based visa application services company, was accused of stealing millions of dollars from his client's escrow funds. The money was systematically and illegally embezzled, we believe in a Ponzi style, from his 'so-called' escrow bank account held with SunTrust Sarasota.

At no time were victims advised that the escrow agreements they signed were bogus or the account itself not a genuine secure or bonded escrow. The money had been lodged for the purposes of closing on businesses being purchased in the pursuit of EB-5 Green Cards and non-immigrant E2 visas to the USA. It is a requirement of the US embassy to have the business purchase funds in escrow before they will consider a visa application.

Whatever the outcome of any investigation we still want our money back, we will not go away. Coles must not be allowed to pay his levy in Jail then eventually slip incognito into a life of luxury as we languish in relative poverty because of his crime.

The financial and psychological trauma caused by Coles has had a devastating effect on his victims and he needs to know that we will forever be baying at his door until we get our money back.

Deposits in Coles' so-called escrow account accumulated interest which also belongs to his clients. Claims against Coles for costs accrued in the pursuit of his apprehension, the retention of any attorneys to fight civil suit, and costs for maintenance of this website will also be made.

He was ultimately ordered to pay a total of $4,232,621.30 in restitution to his victims.

The Trail From Florida to Northern Cyprus & Back To Atlanta

After fleeing the USA he eventually showed up in Northern Cyprus a well known hiding place for fugitives because of its lack of extradition treaties.

Following the publication of an article in the English language periodical ‘Cyprus Today’ concerning Coles and his escrow crime we received verifiable information from a local source of Coles’ address in Northern Cyprus.

'The team' flew out to get him on Friday the 27th of February 2009 only to find that once again only hours previously he had vacated the villa he had been sharing with his wife Elizabeth. Disappointed the team went back to the airport, checked in, and boarded their flight back to the UK.

David Farrow, one of 'the team', leaving his seat 3 hours into the flight to his amazement discovered Mr & Mrs Coles sat two rows behind him. As a UK police officer David liaised with the Captain who radioed forward to arrange a police reception, they boarded upon arrival and removed the Coles for questioning. At that time a warrant for Coles’ arrest had not been issued so he and his wife were eventually released.

In March 2009 we received information that Mr & Mrs Coles had booked a flight for the 1st of April 2009 from the UK, landing at Atlanta GA around 4pm, this information proved accurate, and the authorities were waiting at the airport to interview them. We believe they were heading to stay at either their son's Andrew or Jason's home near Atlanta.

April 10th 2009: I was given a report that Coles and his wife Elizabeth were temporarily at their house at Conservation Court Sarasota. They more likely stayed at their daughter Becky's condo at Admirals Walk before returning to Atlanta.

Some other companies that Coles is or has been associated with are:

Connect Globally Inc
New Horizons Florida Investments
New Horizons Florida Publishing
New Horizons Global Developments
New Horizons Global Investments
T.E.A.M. USA Inc
Select Securities Ltd
Harvey Coles Bank Ltd
JDC Consultancy
3 Dogs Marketing

Here is a list of Coles' victims, that we know of:

$290,000 from a Leeds family (site author)
$200,000 from a Slough family 
$200,000 from a Guildford family 
$276,000 from a Sydney family 
$405,000 from an Essex family 
$522,000 from a Kissimmee family 
$170,000 from a couple in Florida 
$160,000 from a Kidderminster family 
$150,000 from a London family 
$125,000 from a Sarasota family 
$530,000 from a Colchester family 
$250,000 from a Sarasota family 
$50,000 from a Nottingham family 
$120,000 from a Camberley family 
$77,000 from a Suffolk family 
$100,000 from an Essex family 
And more
I wish to be compliant to any official request from an authority regarding information posted on this web site, please contact me via this link email David Farrow and I will consider removing, or disseminating, any relevant information forthcoming.

Some devices will not send emails from an HTML hyperlink if this happens to you simply copy and paste, or type directly, the following into the To box of your email message:  david.florida@live.com

© This web site is produced by a victim of Coles' escrow theft. It will be updated as news materialises. 

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