Man charged with conning, threatening grandmother
An IT expert who conned his grandmother Sh480,000 has been charged with fraud at the Kibera Law Courts.
James Murimu Njeru is separately charged with attempting to extort her grandmother by threats of Sh1.8 million.
He admitted to charges of obtaining money by false pretenses from Mary Nyaga on diverse dates between May 25 and June 8, 2021.
He is said to have colluded with an accomplice to con his relative of the money while pretending they would sell her a motor vehicle.
Njeru also admitted he has been demanding the additional cash through death threats.
He committed the acts using different mobile phone numbers.
The suspect also admitted that he threatened to kill the complainant if she did not give $10,000 (about Sh 1 million)
The court heard that Njeru had caused his grandmother aged 70 to receive a threatening text claiming to be a member of an untouchable gang that fears no one including the police.
In the text read before the court, Njeru had directed his grandmother to go to the bank, withdraw the money and stash the money in an envelope then wait for directions of where to take the cash.
“We have been watching your movements from Lavington, Hurlingham to Kathangeri in Embu. We know who you communicate with mostly your two lovely daughters abroad and others we are on track with. We want money, 10,000 dollars. Delivered to us immediately,” the text reads.
“We will give you the location to drop the money. You cooperate, you stay alive with your family and various grandchildren, you try to whisper any word to anyone including the police. We will kill your close family and finish you. The choice is yours. We are watching you. If you want to dare what we can do, try to default to any of our commands.”
She reported the matter to the police and Njeru was traced to his house in Rongai where police recovered assorted sim cards already in use and others yet to be put in use.
And Njeru admitted that he sent the text messages to his step-grandmother.
He will remain in custody at Muthangari police station pending reading of facts in court after which he will be sentenced.