Celebrity soccer catfisher ‘cons ANOTHER sufferer’ after jail launch
- Medi Abalimba, 34, accused of swindling nurse months after jail launch
- He is allegedly hanging round swanky Marriott resort in Mayfair, London
Convicted soccer fraudster Medi Abalimba has been accused of making an attempt to steal cash from an American nurse he allegedly wooed by pretending he performed for Chelsea – simply months after he was launched from jail, MailOnline can reveal at present.
The whereabouts of Abalimba, 34, had been unknown since an ITV documentary aired final November in regards to the fraudster who conned Love Island’s Georgia Steel and Thierry Henry’s ex-wife out of tens of hundreds of kilos.
Abalimba was jailed for 4 years in 2014 after impersonating ex Chelsea footballer Gael Kakuta to fund a flash way of life.
He was then jailed once more in 2021 for 4 years and two months after he admitted 15 counts of fraud wherein he plundered the financial institution accounts of mannequin Chloe Henry after claiming to be a US Navy Seal in a £160,000 rip-off.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed to MailOnline Abalimba is not in custody.
But MailOnline can reveal it has been alleged he has been hanging across the £400-a-night Marriott resort in swanky Mayfair in a £190,000 Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
Last month he was snapped in Malaga, southern Spain, the place it’s claimed he tried to steal greater than $1,000 from Zhane Wright’s bank card, an ordeal that left the nurse feeling terrified.
The 29-year-old believed his identify was ‘Gyle’ however turned spooked when she uncovered his true identification after she discovered an image of his passport on the four-star resort Anahita Boutique the place they’d been staying.
Miss Wright completely informed MailOnline she bought an alert on her telephone hours earlier that an try had been made to take $1,318.68 from her bank card. A complete of $445.06 was withdrawn from her checking account. Abalimba was not within the room on the time and she or he fears he’s accountable for the tried raid on her account.
MailOnline tried to contact Abalimba on the 2 cell phone numbers offered to us. One rang twice earlier than a message mentioned the quantity was presently unavailable, whereas we have now left a voicemail message on the opposite.
The whereabouts of soccer fraudster Medi Abalimba was unknown since his launch from jail. But MailOnline can reveal he has been noticed outdoors swanky Mayfair resort and taking journeys to Spain (Pictured: Abalimba in Malaga in January)
Last month he was snapped in Malaga, southern Spain , the place it’s claimed he tried to steal greater than $1,000 from Zhane Wright’s bank card, an ordeal that left the nurse feeling terrified
The Post-It notice Miss Wright says was handed to her by a valet on the London Marriott resort in Mayfair which had a cell phone quantity written on it and ‘Gyle Chelsea soccer participant’
Abalimba dated Georgia Steel for six weeks. Their whirlwind relationship got here to an finish when his image was revealed on-line of the pair outdoors a bar within the capital and her supervisor informed her that he was actually a convicted fraudster
Abalimba conned Claire Henry (pictured) in 2021 out of greater than £50,000 after claiming to be a US Navy Seal
Miss Wright found her playing cards went lacking one night whereas the pair have been on the romantic break, however claims they reappeared once more after the swindler returned.
She hurriedly packed her belongings and scarpered barefooted from the resort in an Uber at nighttime, leaving Abalimba loud night breathing in mattress as she jetted again to London the place she reported what had occurred to Scotland Yard.
The Met Police has confirmed to MailOnline there was an allegation of an unsuccessful try of theft from a bank card in Spain.
The drive didn’t verify the allegation was made in opposition to Abalimba when requested by this publication.
MailOnline has had sight of emails, the withdrawn quantities from Miss Wright’s checking account, and has seen some non-public WhatsApp messages between the pair to corroborate the allegations.
Miss Wright, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, first locked eyes with Abalimba in August final 12 months outdoors the London Marriott resort in Grosvenor Square forward of an evening out with a good friend.
When she returned to the resort a valet handed her a yellow Post-It notice, seen by MailOnline, which had a cell phone quantity written in black biro and ‘Gyle Chelsea soccer participant’.
‘I bear in mind he wasn’t ugly, I suppose he was checking me out. I used to be on the telephone my good friend was with me and mentioned he was an excellent wanting man. I Googled what Chelsea was and noticed it was a soccer workforce,’ she says.
‘I really feel like not in a way of courting any person [it impressed me], however being financially secure sure. I’m not an unpleasant woman and I’ve had a foul encounter with an American athlete earlier than.’
What adopted, she says, was months of chats over the telephone with Abalimba who spoke in a French accent, wherein he informed her the mom of his two kids had died, and regularly broke guarantees to satisfy up along with her in Los Angeles, Paris, and New York.
WhatsApp messages between Abalimba and Miss Wright wherein he tells her his ‘assistant’ has booked her on a flight to Malaga
Miss Wright messaging Abalimba’s obvious assistant wherein see says she hasn’t acquired the e-mail affirmation for the flight
In the top, Miss Wright ended up reserving the flight herself and requested Abalimba if he would reimburse her the cash
The cash Abalimba is alleged to have taken utilizing Miss Wright’s financial institution card whereas the pair have been in Spain
The American nurse acquired an e mail alert saying there had been suspicious exercise on her Bank of America card
Miss Wright despatched messages to Abalimba confronting him in regards to the alleged theft wherein he seems to goad her
Abalimba on the time of his arrest by Greater Manchester Police in 2014. He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 4 years in jail for a collection of high-value frauds
Abalimba was as soon as a promising footballer and was purchased by Derby County from Southend United for £1.2million in 2009
Abalimba was jailed for 4 years in 2014 after impersonating ex Chelsea footballer Gael Kakuta to fund a flash way of life
Miss Wright boarded a Ryanair flight from London on a whim and flew to the Spanish vacationer metropolis Malaga to satisfy up with Abalimba
They stayed within the four-star Anahita Boutique resort (pictured) the place she uncovered his true identification when she found an image of his passport
Zhane Wright (left), from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, flew to the southern Spanish metropolis to be with Abalimba
Last month, having returned to London for a modelling audition in Manchester, the younger nurse determined to contact Abalimba believing he lived in a Mayfair townhouse.
But he informed her he ‘was in Malaga getting therapy from a specialist for a knee harm’ and informed her he would e-book her a ticket to fly over.
In the top she paid the £150 ticket herself as she says he informed her the airline wished to see his card when he arrived on the airport and promised to pay her again.
She took a Ryanair flight to the Spanish vacationer metropolis the place he greeted her moments after her airplane touched the tarmac, and the pair have been lastly capable of communicate to one another face-to-face for the primary time.
While on the market they ‘went out on dates’ to eating places consuming pizza and consuming cocktails, cuddled in mattress, and snuggled up collectively on a romantic horse-drawn carriage trip alongside the beachfront.
‘I believed I like this man, he’s a standard man I’m having fun with this,’ she mentioned. ‘I’m in Spain it is good climate we’re having an excellent time and we’re lastly spending time collectively.
‘We are going out to eat, having drinks and having good dialog. I believed he was a pleasant man, enticing… I might see myself taking this man significantly.’
But issues turned sinister on the night of January 14. Having eaten meals on the resort, she claims he informed her he needed to ‘go consolation his good friend’ as his ‘girlfriend had simply dedicated suicide’ and provided her to go together with him.
Miss Wright opted to remain on the resort and fell asleep. She woke at 2am the place she noticed a ‘fraudulent exercise’ e mail in her inbox which mentioned there had been a failed try and withdraw $1,318.68 from her Bank of America platinum bank card in Malaga.
It is known that Abalimba has been hanging across the Marriott resort in London the place rooms are priced at round £400 an evening
Miss Wright first locked eyes with the soccer fraudster in August final 12 months when he stepped out of a G-class Mercedes (inventory picture above)
The Love Islander appeared on ITV’s documentary The Football Fraudster the place she recounted her ordeal
She later discovered $445.06 had been withdrawn from her checking account. At this level she found her playing cards have been lacking and she or he says she messaged Abalimba to ask him the place he was.
He walked again by means of the door of their resort room and she or he says informed her he would wish to fly again to Paris the following day together with his good friend and ushered her again to mattress.
Within 5 minutes Miss Wright says he fell asleep ‘loud night breathing’ and, ‘fearing one thing wasn’t proper’, she crawled away from bed to verify her bag the place she found her playing cards had reappeared.
Confused and scared, she checked out his telephone to attempt to discover out if he had tried to make use of her playing cards – which is when she uncovered a photograph of a passport which confirmed an image of his face and the identify ‘Medi Abalimba’.
She Googled his identify the place she lastly found who he actually was and his darkish previous.
The terrified nurse contacted her good friend in a panic and hurriedly bought her stuff collectively, ran from the resort barefooted and bought in an Uber to the airport.
‘I’m simply considering I’ll purchase a flight once I get to the airport as a result of I’m scared and I simply need to get out of right here,’ she mentioned.
Miss Wright had a nervous 5 hour look ahead to the following obtainable flight to London Gatwick at 10am, fearing he would flip up at any second.
While sitting within the airport a message pinged up on her telephone from Abalimba utilizing one other quantity asking her the place she was, which she says she immediately deleted and blocked.
ITV documentary The Football Fraudster informed the story of how Abalimba spun a complicated internet of lies to swindle a number of individuals
‘It made me really feel actually scared, even my mum was checking in on me and asking me to ship me this man’s image,’ Miss Wright mentioned.
‘I’ve by no means had that have like this earlier than however now… I have never even informed my mum what occurred.
‘Even although I do know it is a as soon as in a lifetime factor nevertheless it did sort of wake me up.
‘The subsequent time I’ve a intestine feeling that one thing is not proper… and possibly I should not go… I’ll hearken to that intestine feeling. There was a bunch of purple flags I ought to have simply blocked this man and by no means discuss to him once more.
‘I believe I used to be being too good and giving him the advantage of the doubt.’
Miss Wright claims Abalimba lied to her about his life to be able to manipulate her.
‘I believe he is excellent at manipulation and making it appear to be he is a standard particular person – he clothes like a standard particular person and speaks like he has a standard life.
‘I do not know, nevertheless it’ll by no means occur once more.’
She briefly heard from him once more when she arrange an Instagram account to attempt to warn others about him, however she has since deleted the account.
